Sonic Who?
by Iris Sweetheart
Summary: In a reversed Sonic world, things suddenly aren’t so pretty. Chaos rules all, minds are warped, significance is lost, and hope never plans on existing.
1. A Silent Beginning

_Author's note: I have once again returned with another dramatic story. In this story there will be profanity, drug use, some blood scenes, and suggestive scenes as well so read with caution._

Sonic Who?  
By: Iris Sweetheart

A Silent Beginning  
_Silence is his name and silence is what he knows. Silence is where he comes from and silence is where he goes. If there ever was someone so gifted, silence is who he shall be. Quietly he enters the setting and quietly he shall leave._

The grimmest city in all the world could not possibly get any grimmer or reach its most lowest point on any day or any year. As far as history is concerned, the city's history is now and forever. A past that was no different, a present that is always the same, and a future that will never change. The people of the grim city are like drones only caring about their needs and what they need to do. Day in and day out it never changes. Any newcomer to the city was just another bodily presence that would come and go eventually. But every now and then there would always be one presence that would shine amongst the grim city's people, leaving their mark.

A hedgehog of a black and red appearance walked into the city one gray day. No introduction, no previous story to tell; just entered into the city blending in among the people. The hedgehog, known as The Shadow, walked down the sidewalk not paying any attention to anyone. With a blank expression he made his way deeper into the city where the sidewalks became more crowded. The Shadow approached a crosswalk filled with pedestrians waiting to cross the street. Cars flew by in a blur left and right at insane speeds. The crossing light finally turned green and a pedestrian who was in a hurry rushed out into the street and was hit by car instantly killing him.

The car swerved across the intersection but then regained control and took off down the street. No cars stopped, no one on the sidewalks showed any concern. The dead body laid in the intersection while some cars went around it and others were going too fast to avoid the body.

"The clean up crew better get out here before that guy slows down traffic." a woman said to her friend.

The Shadow crossed the street along with the crowd, continuing on down the street. He passed by a busy restaurant where there seemed be chaos inside. Waitresses ran around delivering food and taking orders. Rambunctious groups of people were laughing it up at their small tables. Children were misbehaving and throwing their food at each other and other customers. An argument broke out between a customer and a waitress. The two yelled at each other inconsistently yet no one around them seemed to care. Suddenly the customer took his beverage and threw it in the waitresses face and stormed away.

The Shadow walked to the door just as the enraged customer came out cursing loudly and walked off down the street. The Shadow went inside the restaurant and found it to be more noisy and crazy than it looked from the outside. Along with the loud chattering of everyone, music played from a jukebox at one end of the restaurant. At the other end was a TV up above the bar on a sports channel. The employees were even more chaotic in the kitchen yelling orders at each other while a few chatted with customers. The Shadow sat at a seat at the bar. A waitress looking tired and unhappy approached him.

"What'll it be sir?" she asked taking a pen out of her hair.

"Ok, I'll have that for you in a sec."

The waitress left and gave one of the chefs the new order. The Shadow sat quietly observing the people around him. So many expressions on the faces of the people could be seen throughout the dining area. It all seemed like everyone had their own problems to deal with. The mothers of the out-of-control children were obviously stressed out. Business workers who were probably there for lunch seemed so frustrated and yet active either talking on their cell phone or looking through some papers. Groups of friends seemed to be enjoying themselves just having a good time and making jokes.

It almost seemed strange that just outside this busy place was a dull toned city full of nothing but drones and yet inside the restaurant everyone just came to life all of the sudden. Perhaps this was some sort of blessed place deep in the heart of the city where the souls of the people were free and the true colors of everyone showed.

The fatigued waitress came back with The Shadow's order placing it down in front of him and then hurrying off to another customer. The Shadow began to eat his meal slowly and another man entered into the restaurant and sat next to The Shadow. From the man's attire, he appeared to be a construction worker who was in good shape with very dirty clothes and a yellow hard hat. He let out a loud sigh of relief taking off his hat and placing it onto the counter. The Shadow continued to eat his meal silently. A waitress soon took the man's order and walked off just as a breaking news report came on the TV.

"We interrupt this program to bring you a special news report." the female reporter said. "We're located at a crime scene downtown where a young female hedgehog had fallen to her death from an old abandoned warehouse. Authorities are unsure as to whether they should rule this out as a suicide on the young girl's part or as a murder committed by The Blue Demon himself."

Almost suddenly as if it was done by some sort of magic, everyone inside the restaurant was silent and staring at the TV. The jukebox had been turned off and even the chefs in the kitchen came out to look at the news report. The Shadow stopped and looked up at the TV as well.

"Witnesses say that they saw The Blue Demon in the window that was possibly the one the girl fell out of. According to a few accounts The Blue Demon did nothing and disappeared back into the warehouse only to be seen moments later leaving the scene by way of the rooftops. As for the hedgehog girl police have identified her as Rose who has apparently been seen with The Blue Demon on numerous accounts in the past. So far no more information has come up yet but we'll stay on top of the story and report any updates."

Just as quiet as it was before, the noise started back up and people went back to what their activities. The only difference this time was everyone seemed to be talking about The Blue Demon that was mentioned in the news report. Friends, business workers, and parents were suddenly serious and even showed some concern on the subject. The Shadow had continued on with his meal until the construction worker began to talk to him.

"I'll tell ya, the Blue Demon is always around when weird things happen." the man said loudly. "It so weird 'cause you never know whether he's the cause of the accident or not. But one thing that's for sure is that you never want to run into him in a dark alley or when he's in a bad mood."

The Shadow continued to eat his meal.

"From the stories that I've heard, murders that were definitely his fault usually left the victim beyond recognition or mentally insane for the rest of their lives."

The Shadow took a drink of his water.

"Oh I'd say he's committed about every crime known to man. From murder to rape to robbery. The guy is definitely not in order in his head. You never know what he's gonna be like the next day. Although I've heard that something happened to that hedgehog when he was young and totally screwed him inside out. A damn shame I tell you."

The Shadow took one more bite of his meal and then set down his utensils.

"Well the police won't go after The Blue Demon because they're afraid he'll turn into his 'demon form' as everyone calls it. He completely goes nuts and then turns into some super being with unstoppable powers. Some folks say that he has access to some strange power but I try not to get too nosy with that kind of stuff."

The Shadow finished his water and then wiped his mouth with his napkin.

"It's hard to say how long The Blue Demon's been in this city considering I just moved here a few months ago. But from what my buds tell me down at the site, the guy showed up one day mysteriously. I think they said it was at the same time The Mastermind showed his ugly mug in town. My buds tell me that after The Mastermind showed up, things turned from bad to horrible. Police tried to shut the guy down but they failed. Then the military came in and they failed as well. Suddenly The Mastermind got access to some military missiles and said that if anyone tried to cross him again, it's curtains for this place and any other place nearby. So the city just backed off and went on even though The Mastermind has complete control over the city's power."

The Shadow looked around at the other customers waiting patiently for his check.

"Well I've done enough talking. So how about you buddy? Where'd you come from?"

"So you're just traveling. Well try not to spend too much time in this city or else it'll get to you." the man said.

The fatigued waitress returned with The Shadow's check and the construction worker's meal. The Shadow paid the money and left silently back into the dull outside world. He stopped and looked around at the people walking by and began to walk off heading towards the scene of the crime mentioned earlier in the news report.


	2. Memories Of: Part 1

Sonic Who?

Memories Of...: Part 1  
The past is a precious thing that must not be forgotten. The past is something that decides what a person shall be. Forgetting the past is like robbing yourself of your identity. Taking the past too seriously will only blind you of your own future... A mind is such a terrible thing to lose.

Accessing memory files...

Memory files open. Please state name of file.

"The End of it All."

Opening file...

Begin memory playback.

_No...stop. Don't touch that! Hey put it down! You're destroying everything!!... I hate him. ::sigh:: Here I am picking up after that loser Sonic. What happened to him? One day he's all cool and great and the next thing you know the guy gets crap up his nose and he's running around like an idiot. I used to admire him, I used to follow him, I used to be his best friend. But now he's going off beating up people and getting high off of drugs. I miss the old days. I miss the way he would hit me if I did something wrong. I miss the way he made fun of my tails and pull on them as a joke. I miss the way he would lead me into trouble and then run off without looking back. I miss him..._

_Now he's off picking on other people and beating them up. He stalks them and curses them. He's even hurt a few girls! Why can't he hurt me!? I wanna feel the pain they feel! I wanna to be scared like they are! I wanna get killed like some of them do! But I guess I'm not a good enough friend for Sonic. I guess I'll never be like him torturing people and frightening them. Never... But wait...maybe I can...no it's a stupid plan. But it might work! What if I killed Rose? Then Sonic will have to like me again! He'll be after me beating the crap out of me and I'll see the wonderful color of my blood again...::sigh:: Oh this will be a glorious day, yes it will._

_Wait... I think I hear Rose coming. ...Yes it's her! I have to get her into my room and then tie her down to the bed. Oh this'll be too good to miss out on::knock knock:: That's her._

_"Hey Rose! How's it going?" I can't stop smiling!_

_"Oh everything's just fine Miles. Have you seen Sonic around?"_

_Why'd she have to bring him up?_

_"Yeah. In fact that jerk stopped by and decided to trash my place!" Why couldn't he have trashed me instead?_

_"Calm down Miles. I'll help you clean up."_

_This is it...my moment of truth. I just need to find some way of getting Amy into my room... Ok just stay calm and start cleaning up things... Don't try to watch her too much! She could get suspicious. Man...just watching her move is getting me excited. ...Ok looks like she's getting tired. Rose must've walked all the way here, I know my place is a long way from anywhere but it's better that way. Now I'll just offer her to sleep in my room for the night._

_"Rose you look tired." Nice and easy._

_"Yeah. It was a long walk over here even with the hitch hiking."_

_"It must've been. Maybe you can sleep here for the night that way you won't have to walk home in the dark." Please say yes Rose, please!_

_"That's nice of you Miles. I guess one night here will keep me safe."_

_Hook, line, and sinker! Now I'll just help her up to my room. ...No, no! I'll clean up the mess. You just get into bed... here we go. Ok now I'll just finish cleaning up and hopefully Rose will be asleep by the time I'm done._

_Ok everything's back in its place. Now onto more important business. Maybe I cleaned up too quickly; Rose may not be asleep. Well I can't stop now, I'm almost there. I think I'll tie her down so she won't get away. I have to make it look convincing to get Sonic's attention. Then it'll be like old times, but then I'll have to keep him away from the drugs. No matter, I'll worry about it later. ...Good, she's asleep. Ok just move quietly—oops! ...Phew! She's still asleep. Now I know I have some duct tape in here. Where is it? ...Here it is! Ok I'll just tape her too the bed... carefully...carefully. There! Ok now for her feet. ...Ok done! Huh!? Rose!_

_"Miles what are you doing!?"_

_Don't over react, don't over react! I have to do this!! It's now or never!!_

_"Get me out of here!"_

_Please forgive me Rose. I need to know if Sonic's my true friend._

_"Stop! Stop!"_

_Calm down Rose. It'll all be over in a minute. Just let me find some kind of weapon...hey! This knife should do. Now this may hurt a bit Amy but it'll all be over soon. Here goes nothing... I know it hurts Rose but if you just keep screaming maybe Sonic will hear you._

_"Miles get away!! Leave me alone!!"_

_Just let me make a few more slashes. ...I'm almost done...just a few more and it'll all be over. I hope you understand that I just want to be like Sonic. Sure you maybe dying right now but it's all for a good cause. My friendship is at stake here so I'm sure you understand right Rose?_

_Hey! Sonic's here! Wow he looks really mad at me. ...Ouch! He never threw me into the wall before. ...Ah! Agh! He's beating me again, he hasn't forgotten me. I'm still his friend! Hey...blood! My blood! It's so wonderful to see it again. It never looked right whenever I cut myself but when Sonic does it...it's a masterpiece. Now he's trying to choke me. His hands are so strong...I can feel the blood rushing to my face. Now he's cursing me. I remember when he used to call me that...and that too...oh and there's that word he used a lot around me. This is the happiest night of my life! It seems like Sonic's returning to me._

_He's leaving. He's leaving with Rose. He's mad at me. We need to spend more time together like this more often..._

End memory playback.

"...Sonic...why? Why won't you come back to me?"

"I've done all of this just for you. Don't you realize it? ...Wait he's coming. He's coming over to play. We can hurt each other some more again..."


	3. Lost Forever: Part 1

Sonic Who?

Forever Lost: Part 1  
_What is the truth when your mind disappears with yesterday? What is the truth when your love is nothing to anyone? What is the truth when pain is all you know? What is the truth when love is all you want? In a world that knows nothing else but fear, the truth fades away like the past. In a world that is nothing else but fear, tomorrow's fate sometimes lies within you._

"She didn't complain...or at least I think she didn't. But that's not what's important. It was all good for the both of us and she was excellent on her part and that's all that matters."

The guys at the table laughed obviously knowing what The Blue Demon was talking about. The rest of the club was pretty much empty except for a few drinkers at the bar and the one waiter working there. The Blue Demon and his groupies usually hanged out at this particular bar in the lower parts of the grim city. Some of the groupies he knew only because they frequently came to that bar, others were either one timers or showed up rarely. A few of the men that was crowded around the table smoked their cigarettes and sipped on their alcoholic drinks all the while listening to the many dangerous and scandalous stories The Blue Demon told.

"I'll admit Rose can be a bit of a bitch, but under my control she's pretty much obedient and stays out of my way." The Blue Demon spoke. "But the best advice I'll ever give to you guys is never ever get too close to your girl. I'm telling you the damn girl is talking about marriage now! She's insane to even go there!"

A few of the guys agreed with the Blue Demon making their side comments and whatnot. The hedgehog took a puff of his cigarette before continuing on.

"Rose tried to lay it down on me how she wanted us to get married and all. I had to beat some sense into the girl and said to her 'Dammit bitch! I'm not gettin' married to you! Do you think I'm that crazy to something like that?!' Then Rose just went off like a bomb and went on about her dreams and what she wanted to do. I couldn't get the girl to shut the hell up so I did the next best thing...knocked her up good!. Haha! Man the next morning she had no idea where she was!"

The groupies just sneered and laughed at the story while the Blue Demon smoked his cigarette. The guys then began to talk amongst themselves about their experiences and so forth. Then some guy sitting next to The Blue Demon asked the hedgehog,

"Hey you got any other stories about you and your girl?" the man asked.

"Well I do but...nah. I think it's better we just leave it here and you guys come back when I swing by here. I don't want to give away too much at once." The Blue Demon responded.

The men around the table groaned and complained begging The Blue Demon to tell them more stories. But the hedgehog declined and told them all to leave. With nothing better to do, the men all left the table; most of them leaving the bar while a few others stayed for a couple more drinks. The Blue Demon let out a sigh and relaxed in his chair still smoking his cigarette. He looked around the dimly lit bar and sighed again before closing his eyes. Moments later the door opened up and a pink hedgehog in skin tight clothing walked in with her purse by her side. Her flowing hair, which was slightly darker than her fur, came down to her back and had some of it combed over her right eye.

The hedgehog saw The Blue Demon sleeping silently at his table and approached him angrily. A few other guys in the bar watched her as she walked whispering to each other. The female hedgehog smacked The Blue Demon upside his head waking him up abruptly.

"Agh!! Who the hell did that!?" he asked enraged.

The Blue Demon turned around to see his girl staring down at him angrily.

"Oh it's just you Rose." he said turning back to the table. "What do you want?"

"Some of your 'fans' wouldn't stop bothering me on the way in." Rose responded.

"Well it's your fault for dressing like a whore. What do you want me to do about it?"

Rose sighed frustrated and turned away pouting. The Blue Demon looked up at Rose and a sea of feelings rushed into his heart. He wasn't sure whether he was actually sympathizing for Rose or if he was just horny and in the mood. Despite what he felt in his heart, The Blue Demon grabbed Rose and forced her into his lap. She was surprised as The Blue Demon held her close and wrapped her arms around him. The Blue Demon then buried his face into one of Rose's breast and bit it. Rose yelped jumping up and was once again mad at the blue hedgehog who just laughed.

"Whatever!" she said. "Can we just go home?"

The Blue Demon stood up wrapping his arms around Rose and kissed her gently on the cheek but she was still mad at him.

"Maybe we can go at it for a couple of hours." he whispered into her ear.

Rose didn't answer; instead she pushed herself away from The Blue Demon and walked towards the exit. Taking that as a yes, the hedgehog followed his girl out the bar and into the dark streets of the grim city.

The sound kept on buzzing in his head over and over again. It never stopped and kept on going no matter how many times he tried blocking it out. '_Would someone turn that damn thing off_' he thought as he tossed and turned in bed. But the buzzing noise kept on going and he became more and more angry. Finally he reached over to the side where the noise came from and grabbed the clock. He banged it against the nightstand over and over and then the buzzing noise stopped and he dropped the clock onto the floor. He tried to go back to sleep but it was too late, he was already wide away and decided to get up and start his day.

The Blue Demon opened his eyes feeling groggy with a massive headache.

"Shit. What did I do last night?" he asked holding his head to stop the pain.

He took a glance over at the clock on the floor. The numbers were a bit distorted because of the cracks on the face but it clearly read 12:17 PM. The Blue Demon cursed under his breath and glanced over at Rose. Stripped of her clothes, she was sleeping silently making soft moaning noises. The Blue Demon grumbled and gout out of bed; clothes were scattered all over the floor and he began to pick up his belonging and was dressed in a few minutes.

He walked out to the living room and looked out the window of the apartment and saw the streets of the grim city. Cars flew by at their usual mad speeds not stopping for anyone and the pedestrians marched on the sidewalks heading to their destinations, wherever they were. The gray tone of the city did noting for the scenery except make it seem even more boring and The Blue Demon was more or less not interested in the people or it's problems. Feeling the need to get out, The Blue Demon quickly left the apartment and went to the rooftop.

There he had a bird's eye view of most of the city and the gray sky that hovered over it. Smog came from the plants towards the south; colorless plains laid towards the west; murky waters were at the east; and to the north was a techno wasteland home of the greatest power the grim city has ever known. Memories flowed back into The Blue Demon's mind; an unbearable feeling rampaged through his mind...but pleasure roamed within as well. His body began to twitch uncontrollably, his head jerking from side to side, eyes rolling back into his head as he crouched over...and then it stopped.

The Blue Demon stared blankly down at the streets below him with sweat drops trickling down his face. Suddenly in a flash a sinister grin was on his face and his eyes became fierce in almost a demonic way. The Blue Demon stood up and looked out over the city once again.

"I'm gonna turn this town into trash." he said to himself in a whisper.

The Blue Demon stood on the ledge arms spread out and the wind blowing in his face. His body tilted over until his disappeared from the rooftop.

A blur shot through a few cars below completely destroying them and then stopped on the street. Almost immediately people on the sidewalks noticed The Blue Demon and began to panic.

"The Blue Demon's returned!" one man shouted.

"Look what he did to those cars!" someone else screamed out.

Mayhem and fright soon filled the streets as the drone-like people suddenly came to life. Everyone was running, women and children were screaming, and more cars crashed into each other killing a few. All the while The Blue Demon remained still with his sinister grin observing the chaos. He chuckled lightly and then disappeared in a flash.

A blur shot through the terrified crowd slicing through innocent people like a sharp blade. Blood began to splatter everywhere, the screams intensified, chaos rapidly spread in the small area. The blur continued to ravage the streets and then The Blue Demon stopped and took off on foot. He sped down the street around corners causing car crashes and disturbing the traffic. He left a trail of panic among the people even if they only got a glimpse of them. The Blue Demon snickered at his effortless power over the pathetic people. He even wondered why he didn't do these kind of things on a daily basis just for fun. Nonetheless the people were terrified of him and as long as he reminded them that he still existed, no one would rise against The Blue Demon.

The menacing blue hedgehog dodged and jumped over crashing cars. The sounds of pain and terror faded away behind The Blue Demon as he approached the northern border of the city. Once clear out of the grim city he stopped and looked back at the thick clouds of smoke that rose from the city. He grinned at his work and then noticed the blood splattered on his clothes. Blood covered his quills as well but it only seemed to encourage The Blue Demon to cause more destruction. He looked towards the north and saw the techno wasteland just calling him and tempting him to come and explore its dangerous grounds.

"Sounds like fun. I accept." The Blue Demon said in a fiendish tone.

Within a blink of an eye the hedgehog was off speeding towards the wasteland. As he entered through the gate, the sky suddenly became darker than usual. Along with the gray clouds that hovered over the wasteland, a thick layer of smog was also in the air blocking even more sunlight from entering the desolated land. The gothic appeal excited The Blue Demon and he ran faster and faster. Machines that only knew how to kill rose from the piles of scrap metal and tried their best to stop The Blue Demon. Missiles and laser shots rained down upon him but he only smiled as dodged the attacks annihilating anything that stood in his way.

The Blue Demon traveled deeper into the wasteland towards the tall structure that stood in the middle. Made completely out of scraps and machines, the structure served home to The Mastermind; an unknown robotic force that had fed off of the grim city's power for many years. The Blue Demon entered into the dark tower nearly blind of everything around him, but it only posed as another challenged for him. He went through winding hallways avoiding and destroying the attacking robots...and soon it all died down. The hedgehog was now in an empty corridor and as he neared the end, a light came from the room ahead. His heart was rushing furiously; sweat drops flew off his face from the high speeds; oil and dirt was now mixed in with the blood that was all over him. The Blue Demon knew what he was coming up against; he knew it was almost suicidal to go this far...but to him 'shit happens' and that was the last thing on his mind.

Finally after his mad dash into the heart of the wasteland, The Blue Demon finally reached his destination. Unlike the corridors of the tower, the circular chamber itself was alive with electricity running through wires that were embedded into the walls. In the center stood a massive machine made of scrap metal and all sorts of wires and cables. It hummed loudly and at the top of the structure was a large green capsule with someone encased inside of it. A young fox who seemed to be in his early teens floated inside of the capsule wearing a bodysuit and a visor over his eyes. Wires connected to his head ran to the top of the capsule connecting with the structure outside. The Blue Demon smirked as he slowly approached the life support system of the young fox.

"Hello Mastermind." The Blue Demon greeted the boy.

"...I've been expecting you." The Mastermind replied.

An ominous silence fell between the two. The Blue Demon stared into the visor of The Mastermind. His hands began to twitch again and his jaw tightened. The hedgehog felt a surge of energy flow through him and then it exploded into a sudden burst of speed. Closer and closer he came towards the life support system but then the lens of The Mastermind's visor turned green. The Blue Demon stopped immediately in his tracks and fell to the ground grunting with his body twitching and jerking violently. Immense pain flowed through his body but his mind was suffering the worst. It almost seemed like sharp blows were being given to his fragile brain causing his sudden body movements. The hedgehog had no control over himself as he suffered the torture.

"Miles stop!!" a voice yelled from the entrance.

The Mastermind's visor went black again at the sound of the voice. He felt a presence of innocence in his heart and then saw Rose run into the room. She crouched over The Blue Demon shaking him and yelling at him to wake up. The fox boy watched Rose's fear and he began to feel relaxed and almost satisfied. The pink hedgehog began to cry holding The Blue Demon close to her and rocking back and forth fearing the worst.

"He's unconscious." The Mastermind spoke softly.

Rose looked up at the boy with her face red from her crying.

"He's unconscious. He'll be ok."

"...Thank you." Rose replied quietly.

She stood up and held The Blue Demon by his arms dragging him out. A robotic arm reached out from the wall and picked up The Blue Demon. Rose looked up at The Mastermind and smiled nervously before leaving with the mechanical arm following her.


	4. Tainted Love: Part 1

Sonic Who?

Tainted Love: Part 1  
_Love and Purity cannot live together. Love and Purity cannot be friends. Love and Purity will always be enemies. Love will always bring Purity to an end. Separate was how they were before and separate is how they will be forever. Purity, flee from Love quickly for Love will take away what you have._

Smart, beautiful, resourceful, and well-mannered. She was at the prime of her life. Traveling across the globe in search for the rarest jewels...not to keep of course. They were for her research so society could benefit from her findings. The young white bat felt she owed the world for raising her in such a safe place, so the best thing she could do was share her findings with everyone. For almost three years she has been traveling around the world to uncharted places and finding such rare locations. She's even earned her place as one of the top archeologist.

Her name, Chastity. Pure, innocent and loyal is she. Chastity has never seen a bad day in all of her childhood. Everyday was good for her and everyday was successful. She learned new things and made new friends and stayed away from things that would hurt her. Not only was she intelligent and successful, Chastity was also naturally beautiful. She didn't need to wear make-up because she had all the beauty she ever needed. It was as if she was created to purify the world with her knowledge and love for others. Now that she's out in the world and on her own she must learn how to use her own good judgment to keep her safe. For Chastity knows very well that the world is not a safe place and danger lurks around every corner.

The skies were clear as Chastity flew her small plane to some unknown destination. A happy song was in her heart as she hummed a joyful tune. Chastity hoped that her travels would take her to someplace exciting, waiting to be explored by her. She hoped that she would learn more and share it with everyone else. But she didn't think about the troubles that she could come up against, for Chastity knew that doubt could create a great fear for even the simplest of things. The small plane entered into a cloudy area and Chastity became more attentive to her surroundings.

"How could it have gotten so cloudy all of the sudden?" she asked herself.

Despite the unsure feelings that came about in her, Chastity continued on daringly through the clouds. Minutes went by before she emerged from the wall of clouds and could see a mysteriously floating island in the sky.

"What!?" Chastity exclaimed. "How is that island floating in the air? There must be something special about it, and it looks like it's up to me to find out what it is."

Chastity prepared to land on the island now that she had a drive within her to go exploring. The plane touched down softly in and open field and the engines quietly shut down. With her tools and gear already packed up, Chastity grabbed her backpack and exited out of the plane. In the distance she could see the treetops of a nearby forest with some mountains in the backdrop; she knew that's where she had to start looking. She hiked off towards the forest and with no knowledge of the island, the young woman knew she had to stay on guard every second of her journey.

The forest seemed more like a strange alien jungle. Vines were all over trashing the trees and the beauty of the forest. Large mushrooms grew from the ground and loomed over the bat's head. Small unusual animals scattered all around jumping from tree to tree or quickly running by the scared bat. She couldn't help but wince and whimper at every movement and noise; the island obviously had her fooled from its outside beauty. Deep within was nothing but a bizarre world that could only be described as some sort of peaceful nightmare. Nevertheless, Chastity continued on trying to avoid the small life and looming plants.

She forced her way through the forest and came out onto a crystal clear lake with silence all around. It reflected everything off of its surface giving it a mirror like appearance. Chastity felt that here would be a good place to se up camp before going off to explore some more. After unpacking all over her equipment she set up camp and looked upon a large mountain that was ahead of her. Its peak ascended into more clouds and its dull gray toned color gave it an unkind feeling to it. Chastity had a feeling that whatever was keeping the island afloat had to be within that mountain.

"It's decided." she said. "I'll go into that mountain first thing tomorrow. I don't want to rush things too much."

"_Why not go in now?_" a child's voice asked her.

Chastity looked around but no one else was nearby.

"Who was that?" the bat shouted.

"_Why not go into the mountain now. You'll save yourself a lot of time._" the voice replied.

"Now? What's the rush? No one else is here."

"_But something that's in the mountain can not wait for you. It's better to see it now for it may be gone tomorrow._"

Chastity stopped to think about what the voice said to her. She was dealing with the unknown and from her past experiences the unknown could not be taken too lightly. Although, certain wonders have been known to come and go within in seconds meaning that you had no choice but to act fast. She didn't want to miss out on such a great discovery so she changed her mind.

"I guess getting a small look of what's inside the mountain may not be so terrible." she said as she packed up some supplies.

The archeologist took in a deep breath before trekking off towards the mountain. Chastity's journey to the towering landmark was not an easy one. She had to deal with the terrors of the unknown forest again, dodging attacks from small animals and running away from the larger ones. Later on in the afternoon she finally reached the base of the gray mountain. She gazed up its side only to see the top disappear into the clouds. Chastity then looked around for some sort of entrance along the wall. There was noting but rocks all around her discouraging her hopes of getting in.

"Might as well turn back. It is starting to get dark and I'd rather not be stuck out here with who knows what in the forest." Chastity said as she turned around.

"_On the right..._" the child voice had returned to her again.

Chastity immediately looked to her right and saw that a few boulders had disappeared and an entrance was revealed. Without questioning the disappearance of the rocks, the bat quickly went into the entrance. She traveled down a dark stairwell where at the bottom a small source of light could be seen. Chastity could feel a sudden excitement growing within her. Finally she would be able to discover something new and share it with the world. When she reached the bottom, a small hallway leading deeper into the mountain was lit with torches. She continued on bravely eager to reach the core of the place.

As she continued on, she could see small marks on the walls. They seemed to be of another language and by the amount of cracks in the wal,l the writings were probably there for many years. Chastity couldn't make out any of the symbols and just ignored them.

"I'll probably figure it out later." she thought.

Deeper and deeper the bat went into the mountain until her lit path soon became dark. She was out of luck because she left behind her flashlight and she could barely see what was in front of her. But as she rounded a corner, Chastity could make out a doorway ahead of her. A green light coming from the other side was shining through the cracks in the door. Chastity approached the stone door carefully and as she got closer to it, she could see some sort of carving in it. But time had eroded the picture and much of it was gone now. Chastity gently pushed against the door but it remained closed. She carefully felt the walls around her for some sort of switch but nothing was found. All of her hopes suddenly disappeared with a long sigh and Chastity decided to give up for the night.

"Why did I even bother coming down here?" she asked crossing her arms.

"_Why do you leave when the truth will be revealed to you?_" the voice whispered.

"What? What are you talking about?" Chastity asked.

There was a small rumble for a few seconds. When it stopped the stone door slowly began to slide open and the green light filled the hallway. Chastity shielded her eyes from the light as she stepped through the doorway. When her eyes had adjusted, a beautiful sight was before her. She stood at the top of a long set of stairs in an enormous cave filled with green light. The source was from a large emerald that sat in the middle on a small island that was surrounded by a clear green pool of water. A narrow stone walkway at the bottom of the stairs led to the emerald and Chastity ventured onto the walkway.

"This is amazing." she spoke softly.

Her eyes wandered around the cave in awe gazing upon the sparkling stalactites hanging off the ceiling. In fact almost everything seemed to shimmer because of the light. The walls the, the ceiling, even the water itself shimmered in the light of the emerald. Chastity looked down into the clear water and saw hundreds of stalagmites at the bottom. The water was so calm and clear; Chastity had never seen such a beautiful place. It was as if the cave had been untouched by filthiness of the world outside and was in its purest form. After taking in the sights, Chastity proceeded towards the large emerald on the small island. Cautiously she stepped up the small steps and drew closer and closer to the oversized jewel. Her hand was mere inches away from it when suddenly a voice shouted at her from behind.

"Stop!" the voice shouted.

Chastity spun around frightened and surprised that someone else was in the cave as well. At the other end of the narrow walkway stood a red echidna wearing brown shoes, large white gloves on his hands, and a white crescent mark across his chest. Green veins were easily recognizable on his skin and his eyes glowed of a bright green color as well. Chastity was frozen in her place afraid to speak but the echidna stepped forward towards her.

"Who are you?" he asked boldly.

Chastity remained silent as the echidna came closer. He sighed frustrated and made his way onto the small island. He looked at the bat and she quivered fearfully stepping back.

"I'll ask again, who are you?" the echidna reiterated.

"M-my name is Chastity. I was flying my plane when I saw this island and I came here to investigate it." the bat answered.

The echidna said nothing but walked past her. He sat down on the edge of the small island and stared into the water sadly. Chastity sat next to him but kept her distance.

"It's been a long time since someone has come to this island." he said staring off into the water.

"You live here?" Chastity asked.

"Yeah, a pretty crummy existence if you ask me. I only have one job up here and that's to protect the Master Emerald." he replied jerking a thumb behind him.

Chastity looked back at the emerald as it spun slowly on the small pedestal it was on. A barely audible hum came from it and inside a small fog was swirling around slowly. The white bat took a few more seconds to look at the emerald before turning back to the echidna.

"So you guard that emerald... What's your name?" she asked quietly.

"I go by The Guardian for obvious reasons." he spoke.

"You don't have a real name?"

The Guardian shut his eyes and was in deep though over the question. He quickly put a hand to his head from the intense pain he felt and breathed hard as he opened his eyes. He saw a worried look on Chastity's face and turned away quickly from embarrassment.

"I...I can't remember. I'm not even sure if I have a real name..." he voice seemed to drift off into nothing.

"So I guess you don't know how long you've been here either."

"No..."

The two sat silently as the emerald continued to give off its low hum. Small drops of water from the stalactites dripped into the green pool echoing quietly. The Guardian kicked the water lightly with his feet and Chastity looked away sighing loudly. He looked at Chastity as she gazed off at the surroundings.

"You shouldn't be here you know. It's dangerous up here." The Guardian said.

"I know. The forest wasn't too kind to me on the way in." Chastity answered.

"That's not the only thing you should worry about. The Master Emerald is dangerous as well."

Chastity's ears perked up as she turned towards him.

"There's a creature that lives within the emerald that is known as Feared Chaos. She seems very innocent but her intentions are very cruel. No one is safe when she's around." The Guardian explained.

"Why is that?"

"She loves destruction and she loves to put fear in the hearts of anyone who's around her. Feared Chaos has many unknown powers that could be used to destroy the world, but I don't think she'll ever go that far. She just likes to torture."

The Guardian glanced over at Chastity who was listening to him carefully. He continued on about Feared Chaos.

"She's been trapped inside of the Master Emerald for as long as I can remember. There was one time when she got out... I can't recall it clearly but Feared Chaos was put back inside of the emerald afterwards. For years she's tried to get inside of my mind and manipulate it. She was successful a few times but luckily I came to my senses before Feared Chaos got to me. She'll do anything to get out of there. She could even get inside of your mind so it's best that you leave now."

Chastity had nothing else to say and she stood up silently and made her way back to the walkway. The Guardian wanted to keep her behind but said nothing for her own safety. But then his thoughts began to wander off... Suggestions popped into his mind as to how he could convince Chastity to stay. He was very lonely and always wanted someone to keep him company ever since he had a run in with The Mastermind and The Blue Demon. The Guardian had always wondered about life outside of his secluded island. He wondered if there were any other lands out in the blue ocean he would always see. The Guardian knew that if he were to die then no one would care because no one would know about it. He wanted to be remembered; he wanted to have someone care for him...he wanted someone to love.

Suddenly...his eyes wandered over to Chastity who was slowly making her way towards the steps. A sudden feeling rushed into his heart, a feeling that he had never felt before. It was as if his heart jumped inside of his chest and was beating twice as fast. Every movement of Chastity's body made his heart tingle sending out a soothing feeling throughout his body. His muscles began to relax, his mind wandered far from reality, and his crotch area felt a sudden rush before that he actually enjoyed feeling...

With all of his worries and thoughts of the Master Emerald set aside, The Guardian stood up slowly still gazing at the beautiful Chastity. He couldn't tear his eyes away from her as she began to trek up the stone steps. Mesmerized by her beauty, The Guardian felt himself take slow steps off of the small island and onto the walkway. He saw his hand reach out for Chastity as if it was trying to pull her back. The Guardian's mouth opened and his voice carried across the cave like the wind in a field.

"Wait!" it echoed in his mind, but The Guardian didn't recognize his own voice.

Nevertheless Chastity stopped, midway up the steps, and turned around. Her aqua colored eyes sparkled in the Master Emerald's light. Suddenly The Guardian's heart almost froze in his chest the moment his eyes met hers. Every muscle in his body stiffened and couldn't move even at his own command. Cold air flowed into his open mouth as he became lost in Chastity's eyes. Just when he was about to move, Chastity began to walk back down the steps looking at The Guardian curiously. He heart started back up again beating faster and faster. Every step she took, his heart jumped to a new speed. Finally she stepped down onto the walkway; he was standing towards the middle.

"_It's now or never... I have to do this._" The Guardian's mind spoke to him.

"What is it? Something wrong?" Chastity's voice echoed in his head.

She finally came to a stop a few feet away from him. A small drop of sweat trickled down the side of his face. Suddenly everything around him began to slow down. He no longer felt the cold air of the cave. The barely audible hum of the Master Emerald had vanished. His mind had completely left this reality leaving him frozen like a statue. He watched Chastity's lips move but no sound came out of them...he wanted to break out of this trance but there seemed to be no way out.

"_What am I doing! Wake up! Wake up!_" The Guardian's voice shouted into his head.

The silence continued on but then a sudden crash occurred in The Guardian's head. It seemed as though someone had thrown his mind back into reality and all of his senses began to work again. The small hum of the Master Emerald rang in his ears; the cold air was felt gently whipping past his skin; the water drops from the stalactites echoed throughout the cave. His heart was still beating fast but now The Guardian was self conscious of what he was doing.

"Maybe...you could stay here for a while." he said cautiously.

"Are you sure?" Chastity asked. "What about Feared Chaos."

"Don't worry. As long as you're with me she won't bother you."

Chastity nodded cautiously and looked around the cave crossing her arms. The two of the stood in silence completely nervous and unsure of what to do. But then The Guardian broke the silence.

"I can show you where I sleep. Would you like to see it?" he asked her quietly.

"Sure." Chastity replied kindly.

The Guardian gently took her hand and they both lifted up in the air a bit. Chastity yelped out from the sudden lift quickly wrapping her free arm around The Guardian's neck. His heart jumped again as he felt her chest against his and he blushed a bit. Without saying a word he held Chastity up with one hand and lifted up her legs with the other cradling the bat in his arms. She looked at him curiously but The Guardian smiled warmly at her as they slowly ascended higher inside the cave.

"You know maybe I'll give you a small tour of this whole place...you seem to be very curious in it." The Guardian said smiling.

"That would be great." Chastity replied with both of her arms around The Guardian's neck.


	5. Memories Of: Part 2

Sonic Who?

Memories Of...: Part 2  
"I was so close... I had him in my grasps. But then Rose had to come in... Why is she still around?"

"..."

"Oh just forget it! Access memory files."

Accessing memory files...

Memory files open. Please state name of file.

"... The Next World."

Opening file...

Begin memory playback.

_I'm still alive...lots of bandages...no permanent damage. Well there's always next time... What am I saying?! Next time never will be different! It's all the same! I have to try something new! Something that will definitely get Sonic's attention...but what? The only thing that ever got Sonic's attention was Eggman...maybe that'll work. Yeah! It seems impossible but if I work hard enough I'll get there! I'll rule the world with an iron fist! Everyone will fear me! ...Then Sonic will have to come after me!_

_So it's settled. I'll be like Eggman-no! Better than Eggman! I'll be the most deadly living being on this planet! Ha! I'll be more frightening than Sonic and then he'll have to play with me. I have to get started on this right away! There's no time to waist!_

_Time elapse: Three weeks._

_Finally, it's almost done. If it works properly then this new life support machine will make me invincible to all attacks. I'll be unstoppable! I think I'll take a rest right now. After missing so many nights of sleep...I guess some rest will...do...but I can't...sleep..._

_Time elapse: Seven weeks._

_Success! The life supporting machine is done! All the components are put together perfectly and mobility of the machine is fully operational. This stretch suit should be perfect for my new environment. I'll be lighter and able to think more clearly without so much weight on me. Sure I may be drain of my blood but it'll be replaced by a liquid that'll make me last longer. So what if I'm in a capsule where the air is slightly toxic. The new atmosphere will help my brain hold more information and think faster as well. I won't be able to move much but who need mobility when you have a whole arsenal of weapons! This visor should improve my visual capabilities and give me easy access to all of the functions. All of this is not really a sacrifice, it's more of an advancement in my life. I'm making myself better by doing this so there's nothing wrong with it._

_Now all that's left is to get inside the capsule and connect myself to the machine... Then again maybe it's not worth it. Maybe I don't have to be all powerful to get Sonic's attention. Maybe I don't have to hurt others to be a great guy. Maybe I can just be nice to everyone and help them but... No! I have to do this! This is my only chance at doing something that'll get Sonic to be my best friend again. Anyways...time to get to work. ...Whoa! I didn't realize how high up the machine is. Oh well. The farther out I can see. Ok I'm inside. Now to activate the liquid transfer system._

_"Begin liquid transfer."_

_Ok this may hurt a bit but...ouch! Maybe I shouldn't have used so many needles. I hope this goes well...ok I'm starting to feel tired...good...it's working... I hope that...this doesn't...kill me... Oh wait. The liquid is coming in. I'm starting to feel stronger. I'm a little stiff but I seem to be in good health. Let's move onto the next step: changing the atmosphere inside the capsule._

_"Begin oxygen modification."_

_So far everything is going as planned. If I get past this step then I'll be able to go mobile and find a place to call home. Maybe I'll do some damage on the way there too, that should get Sonic on the trail. ...Yuck! This new modified air kinda stinks; but I can't let that stop me from reaching my goal. To surpass the awesome power of Dr. Eggman is all that I want...that and for Sonic's friendship again... How I miss the good old days. Looks like the oxygen modification is done. Now to do a quick check on the weapons system._

_"I want a complete check up of the weapons system and hurry up with it."_

_"Weapons system check complete. All weapons are functioning at 100. Begin mobilization?"_

_This is it._

_It's now or never._

_There's no turning back._

_"Begin mobilization. Switch to auto control and destroy anything that gets in my way."_

_Here I come Sonic. You better find me fast if you want to keep your title as the most feared being on this planet._

End memory playback.

"I had you Sonic...right there."

"But...Rose..."


	6. Lost Forever: Part 2

Sonic Who?

Lost Forever: Part 2

Dead silence was all he heard. His mind was transferring the realization of the silence but his thoughts were empty. Slowly but his noticeable muffled air was heard blowing into his ears. Then more muffled sounds came into play; sounds that were familiar but his mind couldn't recognize them. Slowly the sounds became clearer; his mind became more functional.

"_Where am I?_" he thought.

He could sense someone standing over him. The person's soft hand caressed his face. A warm feeling filled his heart. Light began to shine on his eyelids and he flinched. The person standing over him gasped and held his head in their hands.

"Hello? Are you awake?" the person asked with a soft voice.

He mumbled something and then moved his hand on the covers he felt. Soon all feeling returned to his body and he realized that a blanket covered him. The person lightly tapped his face waking him up some more. And then he opened his eyes slowly so they could adjust to the light in the room. Everything was blurry but then came into focus; the sounds he heard were of the loud traffic coming from the streets; the person standing over him was Rose. Her eyes showed that she was terrified but The Blue Demon didn't know why she was.

"You're finally awake." she said in a whisper.

The Blue Demon stared at her blankly. Well of course he was awake, he had been asleep for the night so why wouldn't he be awake? The Blue Demon sat up but Rose stuttered with her words probably trying to get him to rest. He assured her that he was ok and didn't need to rest. The Blue Demon pulled Rose closer to him and he kissed her. Rose blushed but was all confused about everything and didn't know how to respond.

"Where are my clothes?" The Blue Demon asked his girl.

"...They should be dry." Rose answered still baffled. "I put them in the dryer about an hour ago."

The Blue Demon nodded and hopped out of bed refreshed and ready to start his day. Rose had no idea what to make of the situation. She was sure he would've remembered everything that had happened yesterday but he didn't and never even questioned about it. She had a hunch as to why he was acting this way but it was a long shot from the average answer of amnesia. Rose decided to get to the bottom of the problem and went out into the living room where The Blue Demon was putting his shoes on.

"I'll get your clothes." Rose said trying to walk by casually.

The Blue Demon waved his hand in response and then went to the window and looked down upon the busy city. Rose came back with his clothes in hand and saw him standing at the window. Suddenly she felt peeved a bit with The Blue Demon. He would always stand by the window every morning as if he'd never seen the city before. And then she knew his next trip would be up to the rooftop and then off to somewhere doing whatever. Rose just hoped that he wasn't running off and fooling around with other girls which has happened before. But what she wanted more was for The Blue Demon to stay at home with her so they could spend some time together. But all the hope washed away when The Blue Demon took his orange shirt and blue jeans from Rose and dressed himself quickly.

"Please don't go onto the roof," Rose begged him. "stay here with me. I wanna spend some time with you."

"But I want to go to the roof Rose." The Blue Demon replied. "I want to see what it's like up there. Besides we spend time together anyway when we go to bed."

"But that's the only time I ever see you and sometimes you're too cranky or too drunk to even talk to me about anything."

"Me drunk? Haha! Rose, you're so funny you know that sweetie? You better be off to work, although being an exotic dancer isn't really my idea of a job."

"What!? You're the one who supported me when I told you about it!"

The Blue Demon completely ignored what Rose said and gave her a kiss on the cheek before walking out. Seconds gone by as Rose stood alone in the silent room. Suddenly she broke out in a fury stomping on the floor, kicking the furniture, and knocking things over. And then it ended seconds later and Rose was on her knees hunched over onto the floor. Tears rained out of her eyes as she sobbed loudly ripping the fabric off the carpet. Her heart felt like it had literally ripped into two and slowly dissolved away. Rose's body sat up quickly and she screamed at the top of her lungs.

...

"Why the hell does he do this to me everyday?" she asked in her croaking voice.

Indecisively Rose stood up and walked out. Indecisively she walked out of the apartment building and onto the crowded street. Indecisively she dissolved into the crowd with no destination in mind. Life had never been good for her; she never knew what a good time was in reality. Only in her mind she knew of pleasure and pain and no other feeling whatsoever. Fate didn't lead her to The Blue Demon, fate didn't even lead her to the grim city or to her job as an exotic dancer. Rose was always forced into the things she did. She didn't know what a free will was or what her dreams were. She was forced into the city because she had no home. She was forced to become a dancer because it was the only thing knew. She was forced into The Blue Demon's life because he wanted what he saw. To Rose, the word 'free' could only be defined as something you didn't have to pay for or a private dance she didn't get paid for. Like everyone else in the grim city she too was a drone going to the same places day in and day out. Only shining what was left of her personality when she was at home at night... but no one would be there to know her.

Rose knew that The Blue Demon only wanted her for her money and body but she didn't complain. He provided her the protection she need with his reputation. Rose knew that the men, and sometimes women, she dance in front of didn't give a shit about her but she didn't complain. They were the only ones who gave her the attention she wanted outside of home. Rose knew that her life was wasted but she didn't complain. She patiently waited for the day that she would no longer exist and her presence was completely gone from this horrible life.

But to the knowledge of few, and even Rose herself, there was some out there who cared for her. He may have been surrounded by metal and electricity and bounded to a machine for life but he still cared for Rose. The Mastermind may have had a mind that went beyond the limits of a normal person, but he was still a child at heart and like all children he wanted friends and attention... just like Rose. But the two never shared their true feelings with each other besides the usual 'thanks for your help'. And this is what locked them away from society and away from each other.

Rose continued on shuffling down the sidewalk along with the crowd. Her mind became clouded and nothing seemed to matter anymore. She gazed up into the clouds lost in her emotions. She finally noticed that there had never been a single sunny day in the grim city ever since she came there years ago. Rose stopped and finally a thought came into her mind.

"_I wonder what that light is above the clouds..._" her mind whispered.

Rose finally knew where she was going to do... she had to find out what that light was above the clouds. But she would have to get to a high place in order to reach it. Quickly she took off around the corner and searched every building they passed. Too crowded, too small, windows were too small. She finally stopped in front of an old abandoned warehouse that had been empty for years. The wide windows gave her plenty of room to jump out of and it was surrounded by other small buildings so she had space to fly away. It was the perfect place for her. But something else got her attention. Someone was calling her over and over again and Rose looked up at a neighboring building.

The Blue Demon was waving down to her but instead of joy she immediately became afraid just like everyone around her who saw the blue hedgehog as well. He leapt off the building and dashed over to where Rose was but she had ran inside of the warehouse.

"Wait! Where are you going?" The Blue Demon shouted as he followed.

The terrified pink hedgehog dashed up the stairwell with The Blue Demon begging her to stop. But Rose knew she couldn't stop, she had to keep on going if she wanted to know what was above the clouds. Higher and higher she went up the stairwell until there was a sudden break in the stairs at the sixth floor. With no other way to go Rose settled with that floor and ran to a window looking out over the street. The Blue Demon entered the room just as Rose was standing in the frame of the window.

"NO!!" he shouted but Rose ignore him.

She looked down upon the crowd that had formed in front of the building. They were probably there to see her fly into the clouds. She looked up at the gray clouds and was determined to make it up there to see the beauty that was beyond them. In and out her breath went and Rose leapt out and reached up towards the sky. She felt herself going higher and higher, she knew that she was going to make it, she could feel the softness of the clouds at the tip of her fingers. But then it sped away from her quickly and Rose looked down to see the ground rushing towards her just as fast.

...

The Blue Demon had reached the window but it was too late. He watched the only love of his life plummet to her death and her body laid flatten on the sidewalk. Blood slowly seeped out from under it and the crowd looked up at the warehouse with pointing fingers. He was so devastated; The Blue Demon felt as though he lost part of himself and would never see it again. Distraught and lost he only knew of one thing now and that was to run. Run as far as he could away from it all and leave it all behind for it didn't matter to him anymore. And run he did.


	7. A Silent Intermission

Sonic Who?

A Silent Intermission

An explosion was heard somewhere across town. People on the sidewalk stopped immediately and began to talk among themselves.

"What do you think that was?" a guy asked his wife.

"I don't know but I hope it's not him." she responded.

Some people continued on walking and went on as if nothing happened. The Shadow remained in his place on the sidewalk staring off where the explosion cam from. A child being towed by his mother walked by and dropped his ice cream cone. But the mother pulled him along as the boy began to cry. A stray dog darted out of a nearby alley into traffic. Cars swerved out of the way to avoid the dog while one car slammed into a hydrant across the street. Water gushed out of the ground and poured onto the sidewalk and street. People rushed by covering their heads and traffic was slowed down greatly.

Suddenly another explosion occurred but this time it was closer. Many people stopped and began to panic but The Shadow immediately took off down the street heading for the explosion. As he neared the site more and more people could be seen running away. Soon the streets were filled with stopped cars and ahead The Shadow could see black smoke slowly rising from a fire nearby. The black hedgehog made his way through the crowded streets but soon his path was blocked off by a pile of cars. He leapt to the top of the pile and on the other side was The Blue Demon in the middle of the intersection ranting and raving.

"That's right pathetic humans, fear me!!" the hedgehog shouted. "For I control this city and no one can stop me!!"

The Shadow crossed his arms staring at the Blue Demon. The blue hedgehog turned around and glanced up at The Shadow and smirked.

"So you want to challenge me?" he asked his opponent.

....

"I see. Well I haven't seen you around town so I'm guessing you're new here. You've probably noticed that I run things around here, not those dumb ass humans. I'm also the richest bastard in this dank town and I've screwed just about all the pretty ladies here."

....

"So you're just gonna stand there like some sort of shadow? Heh. Maybe that's what I should call you, Shadow. Now hold still while I slice you in half."

The Blue Demon revved up a quick spin dash attack and took off towards The Shadow. But the black hedgehog leapt off the top of the car pile and ran down the street. The Blue Demon smashed through the car pile, jumped off a nearby building and pursued after The Shadow. The two sped through busy traffic swiftly dodging cars. Suddenly The Blue Demon took a shot at The Shadow and spin dashed through some cars. The automobiles were sliced into two perfect halves and The Blue Demon crept closer and closer to his opponent. The Shadow disappeared into the traffic and the blue hedgehog, now filled with rage, revved up another spin dash.

He took off flying towards and oncoming truck and slammed into the front of it. He was able to make it through the engine but the force of the impact was too great for him to make it through the rest. The Blue Demon ended up stopping inside of the trailer and by then the truck was on its side. With his rage continuously growing the hedgehog was now determined to get The Shadow. Outside people were gathering around the truck to see if there were any survivors. Suddenly The Blue Demon exploded out of the trailer scaring some of the bystanders. He flew high into the sky and then came back down at lightning speeds going after The Shadow.

By then the black hedgehog had slowed his pace realizing he was no longer being chase. But he picked up speed again when he heard The Blue Demon coming after him. A blue light blazed through the streets leaving a trail of fire behind. The sound wave that followed blew people off their feet and some light cars into the air and on their roofs. Windows were shattered into millions of pieces as the sound wave echoed off of the buildings and dark clouds began to settle over the city.

The two hedgehogs blazed through the streets leaving a burning path behind them. Finally The Blue Demon caught up with The Shadow but soon the black hedgehog left him behind again as he sharply turned down into an alley. The Blue Demon immediately slowed himself down with the soles of his shoes literally melting from the intense heat. He was approaching a sharp turn fast but he stopped just in time at the corner leaving a dark trail on the pavement. Disregarding his melting shoes, The Blue Demon gathered up his anger once again and shot off down the street in hopes to catch up with The Shadow.

Slowly the two were approaching the outer parts of the city on their own paths. The Shadow swiftly moved along his narrow paths making turns here and there and avoiding any humans he saw. The Blue Demon raged through his path decimating anything that got into his way and turning down small alleyways desperately searching for his target. Unknown to the hedgehogs their paths were about to collide at a small intersection. The Blue Demon turned down into another alley that led out to the main street. A tall fence and some garbage bins were blocking his path but those things wouldn't slow him down. He picked up more speed gritting his teeth and finally… The Blue Demon launched himself off the ground and soared through the air…

Still traveling peacefully down his route, The Shadow glanced around at the quiet scenery. Suddenly The Blue Demon flew out of the alley skidding to a stop right in The Shadow's path. The black hedgehog halted as well sliding right into The Blue Demon's grasp. The blue hedgehog caught his opponent smiling wickedly.

"End of the line…" he said with a glare.

The Shadow bent backwards as The Blue Demon swung a fist at him. With his opponent wide open The Blue Demon grabbed onto The Shadow's ankle and threw him into a nearby brick wall. The black hedgehog slumped to the ground dazed and the blue hedgehog slowly approached him.

"No one, I repeat! NO ONE gets away from me!! I'm not gonna let you be the first!" The Blue Demon shouted.

He then began to rev up a spin dash attack with The Shadow slowly coming to his senses. With his head cleared of any dizziness The Shadow shook his head and looked up to see a blue sphere wildly spinning on the pavement. The Shadow shot up off the ground just as The Blue Demon took off. The blue sphere slammed into the wall completely going through and The Shadow took off heading out of the city. With smoke rising from the hole The Blue Demon climbed out holding his head. He hand an agonizing headache from the collision but even more important to him was that his prey escaped… again!

He pressed his hands against his head tighter and tighter completely ignoring his pain. He could feel his emotions boiling as his anger built up faster than ever. The Blue Demon forced himself to hold in his anger on purpose. He wanted it to build up into an uncontrollable inferno so it could be released on The Shadow. Finally it happened. The Blue Demon's anger exploded and his battle cry echoed throughout the whole city… a deep groove was left in the pavement as a sonic boom surged throughout the small area.

Far outside the city a trail of dust on the open field was quickly approaching The Shadow. The black hedgehog looked back to see his enemy approaching him and he too began to speed up. The two hedgehogs blazed right into the techno wastelands and almost immediately robots, guns, and all other sorts of weapons began to attack the two. But The Blue Demon didn't let up on his chase. He exploded through robots that attempted to stop him; decimated guns and cannons in his many attempts to attack The Shadow. The wasteland became even messier than it already was and two hedgehogs were approaching the main tower in the center of the land. They sped into the dark tower where more robots and guns waited. The Shadow simply dodged the extras disturbances but The Blue Demon destroyed them with his immense power.

Finally the two turned down into the long hallway leading to the core of the tower where The Mastermind awaited yet The Blue Demon failed to notice. When The Shadow ran into the room, he immediately stopped upon seeing the life supporting system. The black hedgehog stared up at the green capsule holding the silent Mastermind. The fox seemed to be breathing harder than usual and looked as if he was angered by something. Suddenly the black hedgehog was tackled down by his enemy. The Blue Demon laughed hysterically and then proceeded to choke the silent hedgehog but suddenly his hands went numb. Seconds later his entire body was numb and slowly it began to rise into the air.

The Shadow stood up rubbing his neck and looked up at his enemy. He then glanced over at The Mastermind… the fox was growling loudly and his visor lens had turned red.


	8. Tainted Love: Part 2

Sonic Who?

Tainted Love: Part 2

They both had lost track of time. The Guardian and Chastity had traveled deep into the caves of the mountain passing by beautiful sights and ancient relics of the past. Chastity listened to everything that The Guardian told her amazed by his knowledge of such things. She saw artifacts and murals of an ancient civilization that looked somewhat like The Guardian. He explained to her some of the stories that were on the artifacts and whatever he knew about it. Chastity felt like a child again going through the caves and seeing so many wonderful things. She wanted to tell the world about this lost civilization; she wanted to let everyone know about it.

The Guardian enjoyed Chastity's company. He smiled at her child-like curiosity and the energy she had when he told her a story. He enjoyed carrying her from one place to another and loved touching the soft skin on her arms. The torch lighting in a few of the caves gave Chastity a more mysterious yet beautiful look that only caused The Guardian's love for her to grow. He wanted to kiss her so badly and show her the exquisite sights of the floating island. But he knew that he would be brash for doing such a thing and didn't want to upset Chastity... but his heart yearned for her... he didn't want be left alone once she left the island.

The last room the two had gone to was The Guardian's chamber. It was much smaller than the other caves they had visited. It consisted of lit torches on the walls lighting the room, a small clear blue pool in the center, and stone shelves along the walls with all different types of exotic objects on them perhaps from outside. The Guardian and Chastity landed at the side of the pool and Chastity gazed around the small cozy room. She glanced at a few of the items The Guardian had on the shelves and gently touched a few leaving her in awe. The Guardian watched Chastity smiling and had a great urge to wrap his arms around her... But he didn't. He didn't want to alarm her too much so he remained silent as Chastity continued to look.

"These items you have here are wonderful." Chastity said as she walked back towards The Guardian.

"Yeah well... I just like to take home small things that looks nice to me, just to give me something to do around here." The Guardian said looking down at the ground.

Chastity smiled at him as she approached The Guardian taking another look around the cave. The Guardian was having a hard time restraining himself. He wanted to reach out and touch Chastity but he didn't want to be too hasty in his behavior. He needed a way to come on to her yet not be so obvious at the same time. Suddenly the smell of Chastity's perfume slipped across his nose. Taking in a long sniff of it, The Guardian's senses went slightly numb for a few seconds. He had a moment of bliss inside of his head where Chastity was in his arms and they were lying together peacefully in a field full of wildflowers and tiny butterflies. The wind blew lightly as Chastity slept silently in The Guardian's arms and he stroked her hair lightly with a satisfying smile.

But he dream came to an abrupt end with a loud snapping noise right in front of his face. His eyes blinked twice before he was back in the dimly lit cave with Chastity waving a hand in front of his face.

"Are you ok?" she asked looking into The Guardian's eyes. "You seemed to have drifted off there for a second."

The Guardian looked down at Chastity not sure of what to say... Then words blurted out of his mouth not seeming to have any particular relevance with each other.

"Well I was just... outside, the field... I guess it was just..."

The Guardian began to turn red in the face quickly as he felt his body heat up. But he heard Chastity chuckle lightly and then a soft hand gently glide across his left cheek as the bat walked by him. Chastity's footfalls slowly faded away behind him as she walked back to the main cavern. The Guardian was stiff and unable to move for his feelings had a stronghold on his body. The gentle touch of Chastity somehow turned on a great urge to declare his love for her. But how would she take it? Would she run? Would she hate him forever?

The Guardian was too confused as to what to do so he slowly walked out into the main cavern. Chastity was making her way back towards the stone walkway by walking along the shoreline of the lake. The Guardian's thought raced throughout his mind. He wanted to think of the right thing to say but the possibilities of her turning him away were too great. He began to pace along the shoreline deep in thought when a tiny child-like voice spoke to him softly.

"Why does one wait?" the voice echoed softly in his mind.

The Guardian looked up and quickly looked around and then at the Master Emerald.

"_Don't let her get to you_." he thought.

The Guardian continued to brainstorm when the voice spoke to him again.

"Go and seek what you want..."

He kept walking determined to ignore the voice.

"You know you want her, so go and pursue her." the voice spoke again.

"Why do you want to help me?" The Guardian asked keeping his voice low.

"Why are you so afraid of her? She does not hate you... nor does she want to beat you. She is only kind and lonely... like yourself."

"And how would you know?"

"Feared Chaos can see her heart through her eyes... she longs for comfort... comfort that can only come from you. Give her what she longs for... you know you want to."

"And if she hates me?"

"She wants it... she will not tell you but she wants your comfort."

The Guardian simply rolled his eyes at Feared Chaos' accusation. He knew that it was all a trick and that Chastity really didn't want him that way.

"You're about as low as they get Chaos. Quit using me." The Guardian replied walking along shore of the lake.

There was a few seconds of silence as The Guardian continued to walk along the shoreline. He figured that Feared Chaos finally decided to shut up with her nonsense. He watched Chastity walk onto the stone walkway and then stopped to stare at the Master Emerald. The Guardian wanted to say something else to the bat but his mind was too cluttered for any clear thoughts to actually reach him. His mixed emotions ran throughout his body as he tried desperately to think of the right words to say but nothing relevant came to mind.

"_Ok enough of this,_" The Guardian thought. "_I have to say something to her. Just standing around and thinking isn't going to do anything._"

After taking in a deep breath and swallowing his fears and worries, The Guardian boldly walked along the shoreline towards Chastity. He heart raced faster and faster with every step he took, but he drowned the fear with each breath of air he breathed in. Finally he was almost there; he could smell Chastity's perfume which suddenly relaxed his body and mind. Suddenly he was right behind the bat, his breath coming and going loudly. Chastity turned around curiously and smiled at The Guardian.

"Oh! Hello there." she said brightly with a smile. "Is there any place you want to take me?"

"_This is it._" The Guardian thought. "_I have to take action and whatever I do I can't hold back... no... I won't hold back._"

The red echidna swallowed loudly breathing hard afterwards. He clenched his fists causing his arm muscles to move a bit. Chastity stepped back a bit worried if The Guardian was ok. But before she could even ask, he slowly held his arms up towards her gently grabbing onto her arms. She looked down at his gloved hands and smiled nervously. In a split second Chastity and The Guardian were face to face as the echidna wrapped his arms around her. The bat was going to ask what was wrong with him but her lips were covered by his too quickly for the words to escape.

She began to panic and struggled to break free but The Guardian's strong grip against her was overwhelming. Chastity squirmed and let out muffled screams but that didn't stop The Guardian from kissing her. Seconds later the bat was finally able to push herself away. She breathed in the air baffled by The Guardian's actions, but the echidna himself felt a strange sensation going through his body.

"_This... feeling. It's... it's strange. Yet... it feels... wonderful._"

The Guardian stared into Chastity's eyes...

"_...I must have more._" he thought desperately.

The echidna reached out for Chastity hastily but the bat took off into the air in a panic.

"What's wrong with you?!" she asked as she hovered over The Guardian.

The echidna didn't reply. Instead he flew up and tried to catch Chastity but she flew for the main entrance quickly. The stone doorway was just yards from her when suddenly The Guardian teleported in her path. She tried to stop but Chastity ended up in The Guardians arms he held onto her tightly. The bat scream as they were teleported into The Guardian's chamber with Chastity on her back and the echidna on top of her at the edge of the small pool. Chastity screamed and pushed at her captor but he simply over powered her holding her arms down. The Guardian hungrily kissed Chastity as a tear fell out of her eye. He then struggled with the bat a bit and finally ripped her shirt open....

Chastity's scream echoed throughout the entire cavern.


	9. Lost Forever: Part 3

Sonic Who?

Lost Forever: Part 3

The man stumbled over himself as he tried to get out of the alley but The Blue Demon tackled him down pressing his foot against the man's head. The half drugged human begged for The Blue Demon to get off but it only made the hedgehog more angry.

"Shut up you half wit!!" The Blue Demon shouted.

More pressure was added to the man's head.

"Just hand over the money and things won't get messy!!"

"B-but I need this money to feed my family--" the man stuttered.

"Shut up! I didn't ask for your pity story! Now hand over the cash!"

The frightened human reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a thick envelope. The Blue Demon snatched it and took out the money carefully counting it. He suddenly became disgusted and another burst of anger came from him; this time resulting in more beat downs for the human who cried hysterically. Despite the pleas The Blue Demon continuously attacked his victim over and over. Finally the hedgehog stopped taking a rest while the man curled up trying to ease the pains of his blood-covered wounds. The Blue Demon picked up the battered man by his collar and stared into his eyes fiercely.

"Your payment is five hundred short of what it's supposed to be. What the hell happened!?" the hedgehog asked.

"I-I-I had to pay for the rest of my son's surgery or else he would've died." the man replied.

The Blue Demon grew tired of the interrogation and just dropped his victim. The man crawled away from the hedgehog fearing for his life.

"I think your family is gonna have to worry about their financial status after your funeral." The Blue Demon said to the man in a dark tone.

A blade sliced through the air and then through the scared man as a horrifying scream filled the dark alley. The Blue Demon raced out of the alleyway with the money, his quills and clothes covered in blood. Streaks of lights all varying colors flew by the hedgehog in mad blurs. In the back of his mind he could hear the distant sound of car horns honking at him and crashes that were behind him. Gracefully but swiftly he found himself hoping side to side and jumping to dodge the lights that came towards him.

He bounced off walls, leaped at great heights, ran at furious speeds... but not a thought occurred in his mind during the whole process. The only thing The Blue Demon was thinking about was drugs. It had been a while since he was visited by them and it seemed like now was the time they came by for another tripped out visit in The Blue Demon's mind. He came to a screeching halt and quickly sprinted down a narrow alley where drug dealers roamed. His eyes darted left and right until they stopped on a particular fellow with two sluts by his side. The hedgehog stopped in front of the dealer and looked around suspiciously to check that no one else was near.

"You got the goods?" he asked the dealer.

"Only if you got the cash." the dealer responded.

The Blue Demon pulled out the envelope and the two guys exchanged smiles. The dealer then pulled out a bag of pre-made marijuana joints and the two exchanged quickly.

"It about five hundred short but I can get it to you soon." The Blue Demon mentioned.

The dealer was silent as The Blue Demon took out a joint and lit it. He took in a long smoke and blew out a smooth gray cloud as his eyes rolled back into his head. Everything became blurry and distorted and the hedgehog felt himself become hotter and hotter. Sweat drops fell down his face as the dealer and his ladies walked off laughing at The Blue Demon but he didn't seem to notice. He took another smoke and stumbled back against the wall. Everything began swirling around and the distant sounds of traffic began to fade quickly.

He breathed heavy breaths and looked around lazily at others who passed him. Their bodies looked as though they were some sort of liquid dancing around in a lava lamp. Their voices sounded more twisted than their looks and the colors of nearby lights became brighter and brighter. The Blue Demon pushed himself away from the wall but his limbs felt like jelly under his weight. He took in another satisfying smoke and began to make his way out of the narrow alleyway with others jeering at him.

"_...wow..._" his mind whispered.

The hedgehog fell out into the sidewalk where shrieks and screams soon filled his ears. His hands were held tightly against his ears to drown out the high pitched noises but then the lights began to agitate him. His eyes lids shut tight almost immediately and The Blue Demon's first reaction was to leave the boisterous area. In a frantic sluggish way the hedgehog ran out in the streets where ear piercing car horns blared at him. He stumbled out of the speeding cars' path still holding the joint in his hand. More horns screamed in his ears and The Blue Demon's headache grew more and more.

Frustrated by the lights and sounds he finally gained some control over himself and immediately left the area. The Blue Demon took off down the sidewalk, his body heat continually rising and his breaths becoming harder and shorter. He slowed in front of a pitch black alley and went into it for cover. Once inside the hedgehog leaned against the wall. His mind slowly became clearer and he could make out certain objects in the alley. Realizing he lost his first joint The Blue Demon took out another from the plastic bag and lit it. Another long smoke and The Blue Demon was once again lost and mixed up.

Instead of fighting for control over his body The Blue Demon allowed it to stumble forward and through a pair of double doors unnoticed to him. His limp body tumbled down a set of metal stairways into a night club full of dancers. The people by the emergency exit quickly moved away from the door frightened. The Blue Demon laid on the floor curled up and quivering. Two ladies approached him and tapped him lightly.

"Hey are you ok?" the brunette asked.

The Blue Demon turned on his back and opened his eyes slightly. The two ladies gasped and smiled excitedly.

"Hey there hedgie," the red hair girl greeted The Blue Demon. "long time no see. So what you been up to?"

The Blue Demon looked around at the other people who began to gather around slowly. Sweat continued to fall off his face as the heart pounding music played on in the background. He then looked back at the two women and opened his mouth.

"...home..." he managed to say.

The two women smiled and agreed to take him home.

Daylight broke into the quiet room. An atmosphere of lust and romance wandered through the air as three figures laid in bed. The Blue Demon and his female friends from the club last night slept silently in the nude. The first to stir was The Blue Demon himself. His ears twitched and he sat up stretching still half asleep.

"..._what?_" his mind thought.

He looked on both sides of him to see his lady friends still sleeping peacefully. Everything was still in the room including the hedgehog himself. He stared blankly at the wall in front of him while the noisy traffic outside filled his ears. With no intentions of doing anything The Blue Demon climbed out of bed careful not to disturb the red hair girl he climbed over. Within seconds he was dressed in his dirty orange shirt and blue jeans and walked out to the rooftop as usual. Once again The Blue Demon stared mindlessly over the city's landscape his thoughts void of any existence. Then without any sort of warning his ears bent back and a devilish grin was on his face.

"Carnage..." he hissed.

The Blue Demon leapt off the apartment rooftop and zoomed off into traffic in a blur. As expected he left a trail of havoc and destruction wherever he went. People were in a frenzy going insane and looking for shelter from the streets. His laughter seemed to bounce off the walls of the building echoing throughout city creating an eerie atmosphere. Explosions engulfed intersections and smoke rose into the gray cloudy sky; car fires appeared in mere seconds as more and more accidents occurred; a bloody path both in the streets and on the sidewalks was left behind as The Blue Demon's trademark on a horrific day such as this.

Being powerless to The Blue Demon the authorities did whatever they could to help those in need while TV news crews kept track of The Blue Demon's path. The sinister hedgehog was enjoying his murder streak until he stopped in an open intersection for a small break. The people in the area panicked at the sight of him and immediately left the area. The Blue Demon laughed loudly letting it echo into the distance.

"That's right pathetic humans, fear me!!" the hedgehog shouted. "For I control this city and no one can stop me!!"

So far his day had started out perfectly and he decided to continue on with his rampage all day. But someone, with more nerves than anyone else, stepped up to challenge The Blue Demon. The blue hedgehog sensed that there was still someone left in the deserted area and spun around to see who it was. On top of a pile of cars stood a black and red hedgehog with his arms crossed. The Blue Demon sneered and walked towards the pile of cars.

"So you want to challenge me?" he asked his opponent.

....

"I see. Well I haven't seen you around town so I'm guessing you're new here. You've probably noticed that I run things around here, not those dumb ass humans. I'm also the richest bastard in this dank town and I've screwed just about all the pretty ladies here."

....

"So you're just gonna stand there like some sort of shadow? Heh. Maybe that's what I should call you, Shadow. Now hold still while I slice you in half."

The Shadow leapt off the car pile and took off down the street. The Blue Demon, angered by the hedgehog's escape, sped off in pursuit. The Shadow moved through the traffic swiftly while The Blue Demon chased after him destroying everything in his path. The two hedgehogs sped through the streets heading north towards the techno wasteland. More explosions and deaths happened before The Blue Demon and his opposite were outside the city and now speeding off towards the wasteland where The Mastermind resided.

As the two entered into the wasteland robots and machines appeared from the piles of trash and attacked the intruders. But the hedgehogs were not distracted by the mechanical hazards. The Blue Demon made several attempts to attack The Shadow but only managed to destroy a few machines that got in his way. The violent chase between the two continued on deep into the heart of the wasteland where the tower was located. By now The Blue Demon's tolerance for his opponent's refusal to battle was short and almost gone. He tore through walls and demolished security robots in his attempt to catch the black hedgehog.

"_That fucking idiot can't run forever. He's gonna hit a dead end sooner or later._" The Blue Demon thought.

The two skid around a corner and took off down the long dark corridor that led to The Mastermind's chamber but The Blue Demon failed to notice. Seconds later the hedgehogs entered into the chamber room where The Shadow halted almost immediately upon the sight of The Mastermind. The Blue Demon came in and tackled the black hedgehog laughing hysterically. The Blue Demon proceeded to choke the silent hedgehog determined to take his life but suddenly his body fell limp and slowly rose into the air.

The Blue Demon looked up to see The Mastermind's visor a blood red color. The fox was breathing heavily almost growling at the blue hedgehog. The Blue Demon saw no danger in the situation; he just wanted to kill The Shadow.

"You... must... die." The Mastermind snarled.

"Bring it on shit head." The Blue Demon replied coolly.


	10. Tainted Love: Part 3

Sonic Who?

Tainted Love: Part3

Slowly she regained consciousness... everything seemed a bit blurry to the bat. After a few seconds everything was in focus but Chastity felt terrible. She was exhausted and in slight pain at the same time. The bat struggled to sit up but feel onto her stomach. Her eyes wandered over to her left and she saw The Guardian sleeping soundly with his back towards her. Slowly and quietly she got to her knees and crawled towards her clothes that were in a pile a short distance from her. Water dripped off of her as she slowly reached the pile and began to dress again keeping an eye on The Guardian.

After Chastity was dressed in her tattered clothes, she stood up quietly and hurried out into the main chamber. The bat then broke into a light sprint as she ran along the shoreline desperate to get out. But as she stepped onto the stone walkway and was on the staircase a light voice whispered to her.

"Help him..." the voice echoed.

"What?" Chastity asked turning around slowly.

"Help him. He needs your help." the child-like voice spoke again.

"What are you talking about? Who are you?"

"I am the one that is imprisoned within the emerald."

"You must be Feared Chaos." Chastity walked down onto the stone walkway. "The Guardian warned me about you. He said that you liked to play tricks on people's minds."

Suddenly the small voice began to sob.

"He always says that about Feared Chaos... he's so cruel towards Feared Chaos." Feared Chaos sobbed.

"The Guardian is cruel towards you?" Chastity asked.

"Yes... he always talks badly about Feared Chaos and tells others that Feared Chaos does nothing but bad things. But I want to help The Guardian. Break him free of the evil spell."

"He's under a spell? He never told me that."

"No, one wants no one to know how evil he has become, why one is so lonely on this island. The Guardian wants to keep Feared Chaos here forever... so the world can suffer. But only Feared Chaos can save the world from its grief."

Chastity was suddenly confused. She knew that The Guardian warned her that Feared Chaos plays mind tricks on her victims. But this story that Feared Chaos has told... negated everything that Chastity knew about the powerful girl. Who was Chastity to believe? Where could the bat lay her trust? The answer became clear to her. The Guardian took away Chastity's most sacred seal. She was no longer pure and perfect as she was before. After being violated in such a way there was only one thing Chastity could think of: revenge. But it was unlike the bat to think this way so she figured the best way for The Guardian to redeem himself was to be cured by Feared Chaos. Hopefully being free from the spell that he was under would put him to rest and the echidna would finally regain his memory.

So it was decided. Chastity would help free Feared Chaos and hopefully save The Guardian and give the world a brighter future to look forward to. The bat walked down the stone walkway and onto the small island where the Mater Emerald rested.

"How can I free you?" Chastity asked.

"Y-you want to free Feared Chaos?" the small voice asked timidly.

"Yes. If it would help everyone then I will do it."

"Oh thank you so much! Feared Chaos will thank you very much once I am freed."

Chastity smiled lightly and then carefully examined the Master Emerald's structure. After walking around the green gem Chastity stopped and took a few steps back.

"I'm not sure if I'll hurt you when I get you free so brace yourself." the bat warned Feared Chaos.

"Feared Chaos will be ok." the voice replied.

Chastity took to the air and then quickly flew in kicking the emerald harshly with a loud yell. A small crack was made satisfying the bat as she went in for another kick. Over and over Chastity continuously kicked at the Master Emerald as the cracks became larger and larger with each kick. After another swift kick the emerald was just about ready to break. Chastity flew back a few more feet and dove in for the final blow.

"NO STOP!!" The Guardian yelled.

But it was too late. A shattering sound echoed throughout the entire cave as green emerald shard flew everywhere splashing into the water. The green glow died down quickly and Chastity found herself on her back on the stone walkway. She looked up to see a small girl hovering high above her. The girl was blue and translucent as if she was made out of water.

"Feared Chaos." Chastity whispered.

Feared Chaos opened her eyes and looked down at Chastity with a calm smile. The bat replied with a light giggle but suddenly a loud thump from behind her frightened Chastity. She spun around and screamed scrambling to her feet. The Guardian was on his stomach dragging himself towards Chastity. He green vain seemed to have opened up and a bright green liquid poured out onto the walkway. Frightened and confused, Chastity moved away slowly unable to speak.

"What... have you done?" The Guardian asked weakly as the green blood poured down over his face.

Chastity shook her head still unable to speak. Suddenly a sinister but innocent laugh came from behind the bat. She looked up at Feared Chaos who was looking down upon her with a malicious look in her eyes.

"Looks like one has made bad things come to The Guardian." the girl said.

"Aren't you going to save him?! You said that you would!" Chastity yelled.

"Feared Chaos would never save a being like him. Feared Chaos knows that he is only useless and has no greater purpose in life. Therefore Feared Chaos saves his sad, shameful soul from more grief."

"You liar! It was all a trick to get you out!"

"Yes one is correct. Now Feared Chaos can spread her fear to others and seek out new friends who want to hurt."

Chastity suddenly felt something grab her ankle. She spun around to see The Guardian grabbing onto her ankle and quickly pulled away.

"Why?" he asked in agony.

The Guardian's face became horribly discolored and was now full of wrinkles with green blood all over him. Chastity winced at the sight.

"The emerald... it was my life force." he gasped.

"I... didn't know." Chastity said with guilt falling onto her heavily.

"I gave you... my love. And this is... how you repay me."

"Please stop!" tears filled Chastity's eyes.

"No one... is safe. The world... is... cursed."

Suddenly he screamed out in agony as his skin began to melt off. The dark red color mixed in with the pool of green blood on the walkway leaving behind The Guardian's skeleton. Chastity screamed out horribly as Feared Chaos laughed at the sight. The bat turned around with tears pouring down her cheeks and anger burning in her heart.

"One should not be mad at Feared Chaos. Oh no, one should mad at herself. Look at what grief one has caused!" Feared Chaos said arrogantly.

"No! It's not my fault! You tricked me!" Chastity shouted, her tears falling to the ground.

"This is not what one wanted is it? One did not want everything to turn out this way. And now she is no longer perfect and no longer pure but tainted. Tainted with murder on her hands and guilt in her heart. How can one live with this?"

Chastity fell to her knees sobbing loudly. She knew that Feared Chaos was right. How could she continue living with such a heavy sin upon her? She broke The Guardian's spirit and took his life with no intentions to do so. And now it's written in stone, there's no changing it. Chastity slowly looked up at Feared Chaos who simply smiled down on her. The translucent girl held out her hands and they began to glow a bright blue color.

"With The Guardian gone and the Master Emerald no more, Feared Chaos sees no purpose in this island's existence."

Chastity's eye's widen as the whole cavern began to shake. She quickly stood up and flew for the exit as stones and stalactites fell into the lake. Chastity flew into the cavern hallway and quickly flew out of the mountain side entrance just as a large boulder fell down blocking it. The bat landed near the forest catching her breath from the rush. She looked back at the blocked entrance and shook her head in shame. Chastity then took to the air again heading towards her plane.

She was there in just minutes and quickly rushed inside heading for the controls. Chastity tripped over something just as she reached the cockpit and looked down to see and unopened present from her birthday a few months ago. Slowly the bat opened it to reveal a make-up kit. Although she never did have to use one in the past because of her beauty, Chastity felt unusual for some strange reason. She walked over to a mirror hanging on the wall and looked at herself. She was horrified at the sight she saw. An ugly bat with a terrible discolored face and mangled hair stared back at Chastity.

The bat jumped a bit from the unbearable sight and quickly opened up the make-up kit. She began to apply some mascara onto her face to give it some more color. Then she went for the eye shadow and began to cover her eyelids heavily with a light blue color.

"_Must get rid of... imperfection_." Chastity thought.

After finishing with the eye shadow, Chastity pulled out the pink lipstick and applied it to her lips. Finally Chastity was finished. She stepped back from the mirror and smiled at the perfect face she saw. After combing her hair, the bat sighed contented and closed up the make-up kit. She then sat back down in the pilot's seat but then a thought came to mind.

"_I can't travel the world looking for more of its history._"

It wasn't that she hated history now, she just felt that more grief would be brought upon the world if she were to uncover anymore secrets or ancient relics. Chastity sat back and pondered about what to do with her life... an idea came to her almost immediately.

"_Feared Chaos. I could try and find a way to stop Feared Chaos from harming anyone else._" she thought.

But the only way Chastity knew how to contain Feared Chaos was by trapping her inside some kind of gem. So it was decided. Chastity would spend the rest of her life searching for the right gem that would imprison the monstrous Feared Chaos and hopefully put her imperfect soul at ease. But before Chastity started the engine she felt that there was something else wrong about her. She went into deep thought until the answer was finally found.

"_Chastity..._" her mind whispered.

Purity, virtue, and innocence. That's what her name meant but the bat was no longer any of these. She had to have a new name, one that would still dazzle and wow people when they heard it but at the same time remind her of the imperfection she had become. She went through a whole mess of names until one rang a sweet bell in her head.

"_Rouge._" she thought.

Although it was more of a reference to the color red, it was enough to remind her of what she had done. Yet somehow Rouge had an air of elegance to it... a sassy kind of elegance that would turn peoples heads. That's what Chastity wanted to do. She wanted to get the people's attention so they would know whom to turn to when the world would be saved from Feared Chaos.

And so with a new identity, new purpose, and restored perfection, Rouge started her small plane and took to the morning skies just as the sun began to rise on the horizon. But in the distance behind her the floating island began to fall apart as a spot of blue light zoomed away from it.


	11. Lost Forever: Part 4

Sonic Who?

Lost Forever: Part 4

The Blue Demon broke free of The Mastermind's control and tumbled away from the life support system. Cables shot out from the walls and whipped violently at The Blue Demon. But he dodged the cables swiftly and quickly ran towards the life support system attempting an attack. A giant robot emerged from the ground blocking the Blue Demon's path. It attacked the hedgehog who immediately took off in the opposite direction. More cables attacked the Blue Demon and the robots pursued after him as well.

The Shadow, who had remained in his place for the whole time, watched his enemy evade the attacks. Suddenly a large cable attacked The Shadow knocking him over. It wrapped itself around the black hedgehog constricting him tightly. The Blue Demon glanced over to see The Shadow's peril and suddenly became angry.

"Hey!" The Blue Demon shouted at the Mastermind. "He's my target not yours you little bastard! Back off!"

The blue hedgehog shot for the life support system only to be blown away by an electric force field. The Blue Demon, determined to get his prey back, attempted another attack on The Mastermind. But the young boy knew what was coming and sent out another robot to attack The Blue Demon.

"Argh! Not this time chump!" The Blue Demon replied as he quickly took out the machine.

He then sped off towards The Shadow who was fighting his way out of the snake–like cable. The Blue Demon sliced through the tick cable and it flew around wildly, electricity sparks flying everywhere. The Shadow was on his hands and knees taking in deep breaths when The Blue Demon approached him. The black hedgehog looked up at his enemy who only smiled down on him.

"Shall we get back to what we started?" the blue hedgehog asked slyly.

The Shadow jumped back and ran away from The Blue Demon. Explosions came from the walls as The Blue Demon recklessly made many attempts to destroy his target. But The Shadow, in his clam manner, dodged every attack and did whatever he could to throw off The Blue Demon. The Mastermind watched in jealousy as his 'friend' tried to kill the black hedgehog.

"NO! IT'S NOT FAIR!!" he yelled.

The Mastermind ordered all of his machines to attack the two feuding hedgehogs. A robot exploded from underground causing The Blue Demon to face plant into the ground. He turned on his back angrily and glared up at the towering machine. Then in a flash The Blue Demon had gone through the robot and into the arms of another one that was embedded into the wall. He broke free and destroyed that robot as well and then he was tangled in a mess of cables that hung from the ceiling. The Blue Demon struggled to get out of the mess but he only made it worse and other robots and machines were quickly advancing on him.

The machines punched and clawed at The Blue Demon and his anger grew quickly. The robotic attackers were relentless and The Blue Demon could take much more of The Mastermind's punishment. Suddenly he yelled out in a rage and his voiced echoed off the walls. All of the machines immediately stopped attacking as The Blue Demon began to hyperventilate. Almost effortlessly The Blue Demon broke free of the cables and fell to the ground he laid there for a few seconds before struggling to his feet. The Shadow and The Mastermind watched him cautiously.

The Blue Demon began to twitch and then he crouched down and shouted as a wind blast filled the room. The Shadow grabbed hold of the wall to keep himself from flying away while The Mastermind looked down with no expression. A whirlwind of white light surrounded The Blue Demon and then quickly disappeared in a blast. When the dust cleared The Blue Demon had gone through a total transformation. His quills were sharper with black highlights; his hands were now claws; fangs protruded from his mouth and his eyes were now the color of blood.

"His super form...." The Mastermind whispered.

The fox and demon hedgehog glared at each other and then The Blue Demon shot up for the capsule and took a swipe at it. The glass cracked surprising The Mastermind. Immediately The Mastermind retaliated with a metallic arm. The Blue Demon effortlessly destroyed the arm and went for the capsule again but The Mastermind called out another servant of his. A small red blur slammed into The Blue Demon and he flew into the wall. The demon hedgehog came out of the hole and glared at his attacker. A small red robotic cat was dancing around the base of the life supporting system. 

The Blue Demon growled and swooped down to attack but the cat took off via a jet pack. The two flew around the room as cables and guns attacked The Blue Demon. But the hedgehog simply destroyed the weapons and continued to pursue after the cat. The cat flew around bouncing off of the walls playfully not caring about The Blue Demon who's frustration grew more and more. Suddenly the hedgehog ripped a gun from the wall and took a shot at the cat knocking it to the ground. The Blue Demon landed and advanced to attack. But the cat's sensors picked up the hedgehog and it quickly jumped up avoiding the attack.

The Shadow, leaning against the wall, watched as the cat dodge The Blue Demon's attacks in an almost child-like manner. The small robot was too swift and nimble for demonic hedgehog to destroy so he flew back towards the capsule to deal with The Mastermind. But the robot cat appeared in front the hedgehog and gave him a swift punch to the face. The Blue Demon flew back dazed but recovered quickly. But the cat had disappeared and an energy blast attacked the blue hedgehog from behind. He crashed into the ground with smoke rising from his back.

"I can't let a toy get in my way..." The Blue Demon thought.

He pushed himself off the ground and took off towards the cat. The cat flew down towards The Blue Demon. The two sped at each other preparing to attack but then a young girl's voice stopped them.

"Stop!!" the voice echoed.

The cat and the demonic hedgehog stopped just feet from each other. The Mastermind looked up as well to see where the voice had come from.

"The battle rages on between two worlds. A battle that'll never end because both sides remain blind."

A thin blue light shot out of a dark corner and went through the robot cat destroying it in a blast. A giggling voice was heard from above and then a young girl made completely out of water descended down into the room.

"Feared Chaos!" The Mastermind shouted.

The girl took a bow just as The Blue Demon landed a few feet from her.

"I thought you were imprisoned in the Master Emerald." The Blue Demon spoke.

Feared Chaos slowly turned her head and looked at the hedgehog with her translucent eyes. Suddenly they began to glow a light blue color and The Blue Demon dropped to his knees screaming in pain. Slowly he returned to his original form and slumped to the ground catching his breath.

"One like you does not deserve the powers of the Chaos." Feared Chaos said to the hedgehog.

The Blue Demon quickly looked up at her in shock.

"The powers of the Chaos do not belong to you. Only Feared Chaos is allowed to harness the powers."

The Blue Demon stood up shaking his head begging her not to take away what he had. Feared Chaos held out her hand and The Blue Demon froze in place. Slowly he levitated from the ground and Feared Chaos held out both of her hands. One by one seven small lights, each a different color, came out of The Blue Demon. Small emeralds took form within the lights as they floated over to Feared Chaos. She then absorbed the emeralds and The Blue Demon dropped to the ground gripping his chest. All the power he had, all the courage and pride he had was now gone. Fear took over him as he timidly looked up at Feared Chaos who shook his head at him.

"What is weak shall remain weak." she said grimly.

Feared Chaos turned back to The Mastermind and smiled innocently. The fox was left speechless and didn't want to attack for he knew what Feared Chaos could do. The girl flew up to the glass capsule and The Mastermind pressed himself against the opposite side.

"Why does one lock them self in a world away from the world?" she asked curiously.

The Mastermind whimpered as sweat rolled down the side of his face. Feared Chaos laughed and then pressed herself against the cracked glass. Slowly she seeped through and was now inside along with The Mastermind was even more frightened now. Feared Chaos embraced the fox in her arms gently causing him to shake even more.

"Why is one afraid of me?" she asked softly. "I can give you what you need."

"N-no you can't." The Mastermind replied nervously.

"Feared Chaos, I am. Everyone fears Feared Chaos. Feared Chaos knows that one needs pain as well."

"You c-can't hurt me like Sonic. You're not him."

Feared Chaos pushed her self away from The Mastermind and looked at him confused.

"But... one needs Feared Chaos... Feared Chaos needs one." she spoke softly. "They can hurt each other forever. The demon has not for very long."

"No!" The Mastermind cried out. "You're not Sonic! You can never be like him! He's my friend... and no one else can take his place... I-I'm sorry."

Feared Chaos stared at the fox blankly and then shook her head. She hugged him once again and gave him a small kiss on the cheek. The Mastermind blushed a bit as Feared Chaos pulled away. She then seeped back through the glass and smiled at the fox again.

"One has such faithfulness to a friend but one has failed to see that demons are not forever." her expression turned sad. "Feared Chaos is forever, Feared Chaos knows you need pain... but one does not want Feared Chaos."

A tear fell out of her eye and to the ground.

"The world could've been ours... everyone fears Feared Chaos."

Feared Chaos raised a hand but The Mastermind yelled at her to stop. Her eyes glowed a light blue color and a wave of energy exploded from her hand. Sparks and explosions flew from the metal walls as guns and robots fell out of them. The life support system began to malfunction and The Mastermind looked around helpless and terrified. All the while The Shadow remained in his place watching the destruction Feared Chaos was creating. The life support system slowly began to shut down and The Mastermind was crying out for Feared Chaos to stop. But she looked on with sad eyes allowing the destruction to continue.

Finally the life supporting system shut down and the room fell dark. Feared Chaos then held out her hand towards the capsule where The Mastermind was in a terrified state. Her lips moved but no words came out and a wave a energy shot out of her hands shattering the glass capsule. The Mastermind fell out forward and slammed into the ground from the high fall. The Shadow examined the dark room and then looked up at Feared Chaos. She looked down on him and smiled before disappearing.

The Blue Demon looked up to see The Mastermind on the ground gasping unable to breath the oxygen around him. He had been in the capsule for too long to withstand the air outside and was now dying. The Blue Demon quickly crawled over to the fox and turned him on his back. The hedgehog took off the visor and The Mastermind's eyes were nothing but small pupils that begged for his chamber air.

"Tails! Tails!" The Blue Demon shouted frantically.

"...you....remember..." The Mastermind gasped.

The Blue Demon shook his head smiling a bit. The Mastermind tried to return the smile but then slipped away into death with one last gasp. His eyes remained opened but The Blue Demon closed them and placed the visor back on The Mastermind's face. He looked down at the fox with dull eyes not sure of what to do. For some strange reason all of his 'lost memories' rushed back into his head but they did not affect the hedgehog's attitude. He began to remember how he picked on The Mastermind and teased him harshly. He didn't care. The many times he beaten up the young boy over something small. He didn't care. The Blue Demon even remembered when he left his 'friend' behind for the life of pride and power that he yearned for so much. He didn't care.

With his mind and heart empty The Blue Demon lifted up The Mastermind's head and closed his eyes. Their lips touched for a few seconds and then the hedgehog dropped the fox's head and stood up. Slowly his feet shuffled towards the door and then they stopped. Seconds went by with The Blue Demon frozen in his place staring aimlessly at nothing. Finally he dropped to the ground and laid there.

...

His heart stopped.


	12. Memories Of: Part 3

Sonic Who?

Memories Of...: Part3

I can't believe it. He actually brought someone else here to torment in front of me! It's like he's mocking me and saying 'I'm not good enough for him!' I'll show Sonic. I'll show him I can be just as tough... and then it'll be like old times.

"Cables, attack!"

Go! Go! ...Damn! You're not getting away that easily Sonic!

"Robots, attack!"

...Yes that's it Sonic. Run for your life, the capture will be all the more sweeter when I make you suffer. And then you'll finally realize that I am the one who's running this city! Not you. And as for that black hedgehog... he doesn't need to be here. I'll jus take care of him and get back to important matters.

"Cables, attack!"

Alright you useless piece of trash, time to get you out of here and out of Sonic's life. You're a distraction to him.

"Hey! He's my target not yours you little bastard! Back off!"

Shut up Sonic! This is my domain and no one tells me what to do. ...Ha! Just for that pathetic attack I might as well give you something to keep you busy.

"Robots attack!"

Get him! ...No! Sonic stop! Stop destroying my creations! Grr... I'll get you Sonic. I'll... no!! How could you save that jerk?! He's trying to get in the way of our fight! I can't believe it. It's as if you don't understand that he's what's holding us back from being friends... holding me back from showing you my true powers. Sonic I'm not giving up on you. Never! ...Oh so you want to finish your fight with him do you Sonic? What about our fight?! You know, the one where Rose came in and interrupted. What about that huh?! ...It's not fair... it's not fair...

"NO, IT'S NOT FAIR!!"

Think you're so tough now Sonic huh? Think you can handle it all can you? WELL HANDLE THIS!! I'm giving you everything I got! ...Robots, constricting cables, the whole arsenal! I'll make sure of it that you never try to walk out on a fight with me again. I'll be the only one you'll want to hurt because I'm the master around here! Yeah! That's why they call me The Mastermind because I know it all! ... Fight all you want Sonic! It's no use! YOU'RE MINE NOW HA HA HA!!

...

What the...? ...W-what's going on Sonic? What's happening to you? ...Why are you on the ground? Are you hurt?! Did I finally break you in?!

...No way... Can it be?

"His super form..."

Wow... I actually pushed him to the limit. Sonic is at full power now and it's all my doing... now I can finally show him how powerful I really am! ...AH! My capsule! It-it's cracked!

"Robo arms, attack!"

Wow! I can't believe I'll actually get to fight him at—hey! Grr... time to call for back up.

"Robo Cat 01, attack!"

Hopefully that'll keep Sonic busy... but still. I can't believe I made him transform into his super form. Only if he's really pissed off does he ever do that. I guess that means that he and I share some sort of special connection... a connection that will always keep up fighting. ...Uh oh. Looks like Robot Cat need some help.

"Guns, attack!"

...Damn. Sonic's too powerful. But he can't take down the Robo Cat easily, no he can't. ...Heh. I see you're trying to get me Sonic. Too bad since my Robo Cat is too loyal to me. ...That's it you two, keep going at it! One of you is bound to lose. ...Yes! Go Robo Cat! Go! ...That's it, go in for the kill!

"Stop!!"

Huh? That voice... where did it come from? Hey... who's up there?

"The battle rages on between two worlds. A battle that'll never end because both sides remain blind."

No, it can't be... What the?! Robo Cat! He's destroyed! ...Oh no, it is her.

"Feared Chaos!"

"I thought you were imprisoned in the Master Emerald."

That's what I thought too Sonic. But how? How did she escape? She must've tricked The Guardian. I knew that idiot wouldn't have lasted any longer. Hey! What's she doing? ...No! Leave Sonic alone! Don't hurt him! Oh why does she have to torture us all? Why can't she just mind her own business? This is my fight and no one else's!

"One like you does not deserve the powers of the Chaos."

Leave Sonic alone Feared Chaos! He has nothing you want so get out!

"The powers of the Chaos do not belong to you. Only Feared Chaos is allowed to harness the powers."

Don't you _dare_ take his powers away! He needs them to fight me! ...NO! Feared Chaos stop! Don't take away what he has! Please stop... no...

...Sonic...

"What is weak shall remain weak."

...How could you? ... How could you take away all that he had going for him? The powers of the Chaos Emeralds was what made him so great... so powerful... and you took it away from him. You care for no one but yourself Feared Chaos... Why? Why hurt so many of us? Why ruin so many friendships? I was so close to having things the way they were... before Sonic left me to terrorize everyone else... And you took away my opportunity to prove my greatness!! You truly are a monster! Heartless and void of feelings!! ...Hey... why are you looking at me?

"Why does one lock them self in a world away from the world?"

I'm not locked away in a world. I'm right here with everyone else. ...Oh no! She's inside the capsule. Please, don't hurt me. ...AH! Why is she hugging me...?

"Why is one afraid of me? I can give you what you need."

"N-no you can't."

No one can give me what I need. I need pain... and no one give me more pain than Sonic. That's why we _have_ to be friends... That's why we were brought together in this battle. But she's ruining it.

"Feared Chaos, I am. Everyone fears Feared Chaos. Feared Chaos knows that one needs pain as well."

"You c-can't hurt me like Sonic. You're not him."

Feared Chaos can't hurt me the way Sonic did. She can't give me that satisfying pain that let's me know that Sonic is still my friend. That's why he caused me so much pain... he was worried about me and didn't want me to grow up scared and defenseless. He wanted me to be strong so he hurt me badly... and often. He may not have apologized but I'm sure it was for my benefit. ...Finally, she's away from me.

"But... one needs Feared Chaos... Feared Chaos needs one. They can hurt each other forever. The demon has not for very long."

What?! Sonic will survive! He's been through worst things than this so I know he'll survive! Damn you Feared Chaos! Stop trying to take Sonic away from me! He wants what's best for me and I'm gonna show him how powerful I've become!

"No! You're not Sonic! You can never be like him! He's my friend... and no one else can take his place... I-I'm sorry."

...She's not saying anything. I hope I didn't hurt her feelings. ...Hey! Don't hug me! ...AGH! ...Why did she kiss me? What's gotten into Feared Chaos? ...Oh good. She's out of the capsule.

"One has such faithfulness to a friend but one has failed to see that demons are not forever. Feared Chaos is forever, Feared Chaos knows you need pain... but one does not want Feared Chaos."

...Huh? Why is she crying? Was it something I said?

"The world could've been ours... everyone fears Feared Chaos."

What is that suppose to mean? ...HEY! Don't do that! ...NO! My life support system! It's stopped working! I can't believe she's doing this to me! After all of the hard work I put into this machine... What the...?! Put your hand down! ...Oh no, she's gonna attack me...

...

AHHHHH!!

... air... air...

Can't... breathe... darkness surrounds... me... Where are you... Sonic? You must be with the other resting souls... perhaps I'll be joining you...

...Oh! Sonic... you're ok... Yes, please take off my visors so I can see you for one last time... Wow... just the way I remembered.

"Tails! Tails!"

"...you....remember..."

...You remembered... my name. Ever since I became The Mastermind you never called me by the nickname you gave me. It's almost as if you regained your memory... of the good times. Have you Sonic? Have you? If you did then you must remember all of the pain you caused me. You must remember all of the tears I cried as well. Oh how could you? I figured it out though... I figured out that you were just trying to toughen me up. You knew that you wouldn't want me around forever so you decided to toughen me up; prepare me for the real world. I even instigated a few of our fights for my benefit. Thank you Sonic, thanks for everything.

I know... that somewhere in your heart... you're proud of me. I guess... that's why you're smiling. Smiling because I finally got a chance to show you how much I've grown... all because you cared for me.

Thank you Sonic... I will... never... forget...

...


	13. A Silent Ending

Sonic Who?

A Silent Ending

The Shadow loomed over The Blue Demon's corpse and then slowly glanced over at The Mastermind. An almost deafening silence echoed throughout the powerless lair as the black and red hedgehog stood alone in an almost statue-like state. He suddenly heard voices coming from corridor. Some people must have entered into the techno wasteland. Blinding flashlights could be seen coming around the corner of the corridor as police officers rushed into the room completely ignoring The Shadow.

"What the hell is this?" one of the officers asked.

Six of them had entered with three surrounding both of the corpses. After an officer checked the pulses of The Blue Demon and The Mastermind they determined the two be dead on arrival; DOA. The Shadow, standing by the wall silently, observed the officers as they called for investigators and ambulances. Twenty minutes had gone by before both the investigators and the ambulances arrived to take pictures of evidence and collect the bodies. It was a somewhat busy scene as police officers and investigators observed the battle worn room and tired to piece together what they thought happened.

"Looks like a big battle went on in here." one of the officers commented.

"And it must've been a recent one." an investigator added observing a piece of burned metal on the ground. "I'd say from the looks of this place something powerful must've caused the power to go out here and throughout the entire city."

"And what do you suppose this huge machine is here in the middle?" the officer had approached The Mastermind's life supporter. "Perhaps it's what took over the city's power."

"Perhaps, but we'll have to get a team down here to do some extensive work on this place. I doubt that whoever built the machine was just some regular guy."

"Either that or it could've been The Mastermind..."

The two men looked at each other with some slight disbelief. But then again it was possible that The Mastermind built the entire machine on his own. Of course they weren't sure of this so no conclusions were jumped to.

"That's another possibility. We better get to work, these next few days are gonna be quite long." the investigator said walking back for more supplies.

"Right, and I'll have the area closed off. We can't have any reporters snooping around until we find out everything we know about this strange place." the officer replied.

By then the bodies of The Blue Demon and The Mastermind had been taken away from the scene in the ambulances. The Shadow stayed around to for a few more minutes before leaving the main tower silently and leaving the techno wasteland. On his way out many fire trucks had arrived to put out the numerous fires that had been started by the hedgehogs' chase into the wasteland. But no one seemed to have noticed The Shadow as he calmly walked through the confusion and out into the plains heading towards the city.

A light breeze blew through the field as the hedgehog hiked through the tall discolored grass. The usual gray clouds hung in the sky with the sun's rays barely shining through. Another breeze came from behind The Shadow but a giggling voice accompanied it. Feared Chaos appeared hovering over The Shadow and keeping up with his pace.

"And so the tale ends of the cursed lives of those with corrupted minds." Feared Chaos spoke to no one in particular. "Wasted away like useless object, driven to death by desire and dreams. How silly were they to even have those dreams of ideality."

The Shadow shooed away a fly buzzing around his head.

"One misused the of responsibility and exalted himself for his own personal gain. But Feared Chaos knows that such powers can last only so long in such filthy minds. He was poisoned and therefore knew of not of the past or the future, but of the now. Living his days with power and strength but became oh so weak on the inside."

The Shadow sighed observing the peaceful yet dreary scenery.

"Demise was evident in one's future, a fall that would end in shame. Memories that were lost became apart of the now and his inside weakness overruled one's body. Such an entertaining but tragic story of how power is like riches; it comes only to leave and move on to someone new. What does one think of this story?"

The Shadow stopped to sit on a nearby rock staring at the city. Feared Chaos hovered lower and closer to the hedgehog but he didn't seem to notice her.

"Yes Feared Chaos does agree. That story is such a foolish one but Feared Chaos has more. Yes another of a lost soul where dreams were never there and control was the only driving force. Feared Chaos found it hard to believe that one was so driven by control but it was possible. Artificial love and artificial respect is what existed but one must've believed them to be their true forms; such a silly mind she had."

The Shadow kicked at some dirt and then looked up towards the slow moving clouds.

"But something must've happened. Feared Chaos is not sure but something did happen. One must've searched for true love after all but got nothing but artificial love. Maybe the strange shining light above the clouds inspired her... or driven her to see beyond the boundaries of her controlled life; to see what it was like without restraint. Or maybe her controlled life forced her to search for more comfort from a shining light that could never ease the pain."

The Shadow clasped his hands together resting his chin on them as if going into deep thought.

"How does Feared Chaos know one asks? Feared Chaos could see the heart of the demon on his face ever since the girl's demise. Feared Chaos was with the demon for so long but wanted to wait and see where the demon would go for comfort. But if that story did not joggle one's mind then perhaps this one will. The story of one who searched for pain... or even mistaken pain for something that he never did see clearly. Yes brilliant was one but pain obscured his clear vision of life. So obscured was his life that pain became a priority... a need for acceptance if you will."

The Shadow watched a small bug crawl by his feet searching for food in the dirt.

"And so one began to seek for acceptance by means of having pain inflicted upon himself. Such very stupid behavior if one should as Feared Chaos. But jealousy occurred when one could see the demon harming others as if they were better. But he put up with this neglecting behavior and tried harder to achieve acceptance. Soon driven out to the edge by jealousy and could only see one path with his obscured vision: prove yourself of power and fear. Feared Chaos saw this dream favorable although unwise when abused."

The Shadow scratched the back his right ear.

"So one did receive power and one did create fear but when it came down to getting what he dreamed of so much..." Feared Chaos paused to shake her head in shame. "Such a disappointing tale he had. One refused to realize that the demon is not forever... yet... it's what he sought for. I could've given him the pain that he needed and one would still be powerful and feared... So sad, so sad. Perhaps Feared Chaos should move on to another story. A story so well known that only Feared Chaos could tell it with a passion of enjoyment. One should listen to the tale of a fool's heart and a dreamer's naive mind."

The Shadow stood up and paced around the rock slowly with his hands behind his back.

"He was so lonely, oh yes he was. But diligent was one at first a very long time ago. As the years progressed he became lonely often wondering if anyone else existed. Until one a demon came along and dazzled his mind. Afterwards one knew that there others out there, he was so sure of it! After seeing another being of a superior mind, one could only think of who else would he see. Yet time dragged on and he became very lonely again. Feared Chaos was a prisoner though, my powers being to great and feared of had Feared Chaos trapped inside a small world of only me. I tried to corrupt one's mind but he resisted."

The Shadow stopped and rocked back and forth on his feet gazing at the city once more.

"Until one day when another appeared and created such powerful feelings in one's heart. He didn't know what to do but Feared Chaos did. Befriending the other, one was now very fond of her and wanted more. Feared Chaos urged him on but he resisted... damn his resistance. But Feared Chaos watched at one's emotions took over... and all was lost for the other. What Feared Chaos did not mention was that the other was of a pure heart and had pure intentions. Curious was she and also very brave and daring. But Feared Chaos saw opportunity in this. Feared Chaos could see that one had a weak mind and a weak heart for sorrow and sympathy, and this became a tool to an escape that could only be so devastating for such fools."

The Shadow sat down on the rock and closed his eyes.

"Such a naive heart could only come from a comforting past, yet Feared Chaos knew that one was not prepared for such corruption in her life. And of course when the other let his emotions take control corruption did come and she was scarred for life. Distorted and confused, one knew only to escape from such a horrid place but Feared Chaos made sure that she was forever burned. Filling one's mind with guilt and imperfection... one now saw herself as worthless like so many other beings do. Entertaining isn't it? As for the other he suffered not only physical death, but also emotional death for the love of his life." 

The Shadow began to slouch over almost falling asleep but immediately woke up from the shock.

"Fools they were but the girl did do something that Feared Chaos did not see; she changed herself, became someone knew. Now one has a silly dream of capturing Feared Chaos in hopes of bringing back her perfection. But Feared Chaos knows that her heart will be lost in the riches she will seek after. And so ends the tales of corrupted minds. Does one think twice of his actions now?"

The Shadow yawned and stood up beginning his hike towards the city again. Feared Chaos hovered after the hedgehog.

"Or maybe one does not need to think of his actions because one does nothing of influence on the environment."

The Shadow began to pick up his pace going into a light jog. Feared Chaos kept up with him.

"Yes one is truly like a shadow in the midst of all of these tales. A silent shadow that did nothing, said nothing, yet experienced so much in so little time. Feared Chaos commends one for he is neither corrupted nor a dreamer, but like a person's shadow. Silent, ineffective, but observes so much."

The black hedgehog finally broke into a run, the air jets on his shoes turning on automatically. Feared Chaos stayed by his side as the two zoom through the vast field staying just outside of the city.

"Perhaps Feared Chaos shall cross paths with one again. And Feared Chaos is sure that one will not be corrupted when the second meeting comes. But when Feared Chaos does think about it, of all the beings that have crossed paths with the corrupted fools, you were not affected by their corruptive behavior. Maybe there is more to you than meets the eye... but that shall be left for another time."

Still keeping her speed, Feared Chaos ascended into the sky and disappeared. The Shadow continued on running until he the grim city was no longer at his side but rather behind him. The hedgehog continued to speed on into the vast hills zooming through the tall grass. And when he was miles away from the city, The Shadow slowed to a stop on top of a hill and looked back at the grim city in the distance. For some strange reason the gray clouds began to part just above The Shadow. A ray of sunlight shone down onto the hedgehog but for the first time he suddenly had an expression on his face; a fearful expression. It seemed as if the sun's light brought him to life suddenly giving him a personality.

"What if she comes after me next?" The Shadow asked fearfully.

The clouds closed up and the black hedgehog traveled on emotionless in the shadows of the sun.


End file.
